Raising Riley: The Beginning
by AudreyRMiller
Summary: Set somewhere along the end of season 7 – beginning of season 8, in a world where Arizona never left for Africa, Mark and Callie didn't sleep together and the car crash didn't happen. Callie and Arizona take their relationship to the next level when they decide to adopt a baby, however things change when a badly injured 11 year old girl named Riley ends up on their OR table.
1. Chapter 1

***OK so just a few things I wanted to explain. I've had this story in mind for quite some time and finally decided to sit down and write it. English is not my first language and so if there are any spelling mistakes, sorry about that. Also I'm not an expert when it comes to all the medical vocabulary. I did research online and I tried to write all the medical scenarios as realistically as I possibly can. Again, if there are any mistakes, sorry…just pretend it makes sense! **

**As far as the story goes, I did change a few things. Callie and Arizona are married but Arizona never left for Africa, and so Mark and Callie didn't get together. Also the car crash did not happen. This is a Callie and Arizona centered story, however you will see appearances from other characters on the show for example, in these first 2 chapters Alex Karev is included.**

**I'm sort of new at this fanfic thing…I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Dr. Robbins was paged to the ER. "Karev! There's an incoming trauma, the ambulance should be here at any moment" she said rapidly as she pulled on a trauma gown. A small smile formed on the resident's face as he started following his attending. _"This gotta be good"_ he thought to himself.

The ambulance' doors were open forcibly, Nicole the paramedic, jumped out and started taking out the gurney. "Young girl seems to be 10 maybe 11years old, unconscious, vital signs stable, multiple contusions over chest and abdomen, left arm looks severely broken". The paramedic went on and gave a full report on the patient's condition.

The image of the small girl lying on the gurney took Arizona by surprise for a bit. She was used to seeing kids in horrific conditions; however she hadn't seen a case this rough for quite a while. She glanced over the poor girl's body and examined her injuries. The hair on the back of the girl's head was soaked with blood gushing from what appeared to be an open wound. Her face was enlarged from all the bruises and cuts; she didn't even look like a little girl, more like some bloody mess. Her clothes were torn, dirty and full of blood stains. Next, Arizona took a look on the girl's arm. It was a nasty fracture; you could see some of the bone sticking out. _Callie would like to put her hands on this_, Arizona thought to herself. Only her wife could get excited from seeing a bone bursting out of person's arm. The girl's abdomen was also badly injured and Arizona was eager to examine it more closely as she was afraid it might be serious.

"No family members?" Arizona asked when she noticed no one accompanied the girl on the ambulance.

"Nope, she was found bleeding on the street by some pedestrians ". The Paramedic replied.

"Alright, thanks Nicole. Alex, take her to trauma 2 and page Shepherd and Torres".

* * *

"You paged?" Callie asked as she entered the trauma room. She pulled a set of gloves onto her hands and walked towards the patient.

"Yeah, we got a girl with a broken arm" Arizona explained.

Callie's expression grimaced to the sight of the girl's bloody and deformed arm. "She has a pretty bad distal radius fracture. I'll scrub in with you guys and fix her up". She pulled the gloves off her hands and tossed them in the bin. "Page me when you're ready". The brunette said as she walked to attend her other patients. The ER was in full capacity today.

"It seems like she took a blow to the head" Alex said as he pushed more gauze over the girl's head wound. It wasn't as severe compared to her other injures. Alex just needed to clean it up.

"Yeah her pupils are slightly dilated but it doesn't seem like there would be any neurological damage. Get a head CT just in case and page me". Alex nodded as Dr. Shepherd left the room.

"Alright, we need to get her to surgery" Arizona said as she put down the portable ultrasound after examining the girl's abdomen. "Book an OR, Alex". The blond woman ordered.

* * *

The three doctors stood in the OR for hours. Alex assisted Arizona on trying to fix the girl's internal injuries while Callie focused on fixing the girl's fracture.

"Can I have some more suction please?" Arizona urged her resident. Alex repositioned the suction to his attending's orders.

"Ok I'm done with her fracture, you ready to close?" Callie asked as she handed her scalpel to the nurse.

"Yep, we got all the bleeders". The blond woman stretched and turned her head from side to side, her neck always started to hurt after long hours of surgery. As they were nearly done, Arizona's thoughts got carried away over the patient lying on her OR table. As surgeons, they were taught to keep their boundaries and not get involved with their patients' stories. But it was a little different for Arizona. She was a PEDs surgeon, which means she often had to advocate for her tiny humans, since they couldn't defend themselves. Something in Arizona's stomach told her this might turn out to be one of "those cases". She was really curious to find out the girl's story.

"Can you imagine she was found like that, all alone bleeding on the ground" Arizona shared her thoughts with her colleagues. "I wonder who did this to her".

"Looks like she was beaten." Alex pointed out bluntly.

"What makes you say that?" Arizona creased her forehead in confusion.

"Just by the shape of the bruises on her arms and the rest of her body. Looks like she was held strongly. And the bruises on her stomach look a lot like kicking marks…" the resident explained.

"So what, she was in a fight? She's just a little girl…"Arizona said.

"I don't know…but she was obviously outnumbered" Alex speculated, his gaze never leaving the patient's body.

"But she's so young, what could she be doing all alone in the streets". Arizona said.

"All we know is that she was found like that by strangers, and that no one has called looking for her since she got here. Seems like either her family doesn't know she was wondering the streets alone or that she has no family" the resident noted thoughtfully. Arizona had a hard time buying this._ What kind of a parent, doesn't know their kid is wondering the streets alone?_ She thought to herself. Then again, maybe the young girl really didn't have anyone to look after her.

"Plus she had no identification on her. No wallet, cell phone, school uniform. Nothing." Callie added.

"Well we're gonna have to wait till she wakes up to find out what really went there. In the meantime I'll contact child services". Arizona said, her eyes glancing over to the poor girl's face.

* * *

Once the three doctors got out of the surgery, Arizona called child services. After explaining the girl's physical features over the phone, they sent one of their social workers to identify her.

"Kid's name is Riley Holmes, she's 11 years old" Jane, the social worker said.

"You know her?" Arizona asked.

"Yep. She's been reported missing for over a week. Kid's got a sad story. She and her older brother, Andrew, were taken into foster care after they were abandoned by their biological mother. The father's identity is unknown. It was rough, they must have been in n' out of 10 different foster homes over the years". Jane sighed and turned her gaze over to the girl's room as she continued to explain her story. "Her brother was a troubled kid. He often ran away and got himself involved with illegal activities on the streets".

"Seems like she was following his footsteps". Alex dismissed as he shrugged his shoulders and turned away. Arizona gave him a scolding look; he of all people should be more understanding of the girl's story.

Jane nodded. "He was found dead a little over a year ago. He was the only family member she had". Arizona lowered her stare. That girl was all alone, she could have died and nobody would have known.

"Why do you think she left her foster home?" Arizona asked.

"I don't know. The foster parents are nice people; they've been working with foster services for years. They have 3 more kids living in their home". Jane opened her briefcase and pulled out a business card. "Can you give me a call when she wakes up?"

"Yeah, sure thing". Arizona took the card and shook the social worker's hand.

After Jane left, Arizona, Callie and Alex stood outside the girl's room in silence for a few moments. She has been through so much, and now she will have to go through a painful recovery as well.

"Why would she run?" Arizona finally asked.

"Huh?" Callie gave her a puzzled look.

"If the parents are such nice people and there are other kids, what reason does she have to run?" she explained.

"Maybe she just needed to getaway". Callie said softly.

"I don't know. Something feels wrong. I mean she's been missing for over a week, the parents have no clue on where she is and then she's found half dead…something's wrong here". The blond woman shifted her position and turned her head to look at her wife.

"Yeah well I was a foster kid too. And it sucked sometimes. Even if the parents are nice. She's obviously been through a lot, and the brother thing sure had to mess her up". Alex pointed out.

Arizona didn't know what brought that kid into her OR but she had a clenching feeling in her guts telling her something was wrong. Very wrong. She knew there was more to the kid's story; and they were going to find out about it sooner or later. All there was left now was to wait for the girl to wake up.


	2. Chapter 2

On the next day, Riley woke up. Arizona stayed in the hospital all night to monitor her.

"Hey Riley, I'm Dr. Robbins and that's Dr. Karev" Arizona said with a smile on her face. The girl just gave her puzzled look; she was still a little sleepy. She took a good look around the room and the people surrounding her. Once she seemed to have grasped where she was at, her body shot up in a sharp movement as if she was ready to flee.

"Whoa there" Alex said as he put his hand over the girl's shoulder, he then pushed her lightly back to the bed.

Arizona shifted her position closer to the girl. "Riley, I know this is scary. You were found injured pretty badly and we had to take you into surgery" she said. "Do you remember what happened?" Arizona put her arm over the girl's shoulder protectively. Riley shrugged the doctor's hand from over her shoulder and shook her head negatively.

"Umm…Alright, that's fine… maybe you'll remember later" Arizona put on another reassuring smile. "Would you like us to call you're foster parents? I'm sure they'd be happy to hear you've woken up". The girl turned her gaze to Arizona. She tried to get up again but Alex was faster and he put his hand back on her shoulder. She shifted her body back as if to get away.

"My…my foster parents are here?" the girl stuttered frantically.

"Um no, they're not here" Arizona said in confusion. It was then that she noticed the girl's face. Her skin was white with fear, as if she had seen a ghost. Her hands were clenched to the bed. Her eyes were scanning the room in suspicion.

"I…I…don't…I don't want to see them. I don't want to see them." The girl stuttered, lowering her view. Arizona looked at Alex; he gave her a confused look. Something wasn't right here, they knew it.

"Okay… that's okay" the doctor tried to comfort the girl. "How about we'll give you some time to rest?"

"Call Jane from Child Services" Arizona whispered in Alex's ear as they were heading out. "Tell her it's urgent".

* * *

Jane left the girl's room, clicking her pen shut and putting her notebook back into her briefcase. She signed heavily as she walked her way to meet the curious doctors waiting near the nurse's station. "Well, she won't say a word about what happened to her". Jane turned her view back to the girl's room. "Tell me again what she said to you" Jane questioned Arizona.

"Nothing really. She just said she doesn't want to see the foster parents".

"Maybe they're the ones who did this to her" Callie pointed out; Arizona had paged her after Riley woke up.

Jane shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know, I mean they're good people. They've done an amazing job with the foster services, and we've known them for years".

"So what's happening now?" Alex asked.

"I'm going to question the foster parents again, see if they could think of anything. I'll come again tomorrow to see if Riley will be more cooperative" Jane said as she pulled her briefcase."Call me if you find anything".

* * *

Two days had passed. Though her physical condition remained stable, Riley's emotional state was unclear. She lay in bed staring at her window, never breaking her gaze into the outside world. She didn't talk, and her features stayed motionless. Jane had come in everyday to question the girl, yet she continued to stay silent.

Arizona rolled in on her skates as she entered the room. "Hey Riley! How are _we_ feeling today?" she asked while sporting one of her super magic smiles.

_Ugh, not roller girl again,_ Riley thought to herself. She hated how the doctors always used the word _we_ in a sentence. _How are we feeling? Are we doing better_? She continued staring at the window, not even flinching as she sense Dr. Robbins approaching her bedside.

"Well your vital signs are great, oh and the nurses told me your wounds are healing up nicely". It was as if she was talking to herself, Riley was showing no interest whatsoever. "Dr. Torres is going to come in later on today to check your arm" Arizona added. She moved her position from the end of bed; she walked slowly and sat next to the girl.

"Riley" she said softly. "The nurses have been telling me that you won't eat". Arizona laughed awkwardly "I know the hospital food is pretty bad, but you've been through a major surgery and your body underwent great trauma. You need to eat so you'll get stronger okay?" Arizona asked even though she knew she won't be getting any answer. "If you need anything, ask one of the nurses to page me, alright?"

Arizona left the room. This girl was so stubborn; there was no getting through her.

* * *

"Hey" Callie said as she saw her wife. Who was still in her work clothes, even though her shift has ended. "Why are you still wearing scrubs?"

"I think I'm gonna stay in for the night" Arizona replied.

"Still worried about Riley?" Callie asked, gently putting her arm over her wife. Arizona accepted her wife's embrace and let Callie pull her into a warm hug.

Arizona rested her head on her wife's shoulder before looking into her eyes and with a deep sigh she said "the nurses say she doesn't eat. I don't know what to do with her. She won't talk to anyone or move. It's affecting her recovery…" Arizona started rambling. A few of Arizona's colleagues even suggested calling psych for consult thought Arizona wasn't convinced it was treatment.

"Hey, you're doing everything you can" Callie assured her while stroking one of her wife's golden locks behind her ear.

"I know, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Honestly it's the first time in my career when I'm having hard time connecting with a patient, you know?"

Callie nodded; she understood her wife's frustration. She pulled her arms away and Arizona groaned when the embrace was broken. "I'm gonna head home, I have to be back early tomorrow morning for a surgery. I'll see you then". They kissed and Arizona watched her wife enter the elevator. Callie always knew what to say to calm her down.

After staring at the elevator for a couple more minutes, Arizona shook her head and pulled out some charts to start on her paperwork.

* * *

It was after midnight and Arizona was strolling the halls of her ward. They were having a slow night, a thing Arizona was very grateful for. Most of the patients were asleep and she was done with her paperwork so she decided to pay Riley another visit and check on her signs. She expected to find the girl asleep yet as she entered the room, the girl was wide awake. She was lying on her back staring at the ceiling.

"Riley?" Arizona whispered as she walked into the room. It was dark, yet the lights coming from the halls enable her to see somewhat of the girl's features.

"You okay?" Arizona came closer to the girl and set on her bed. Riley shifted her position and sat up. "Having trouble sleeping?" Arizona asked gently.

The girl just shrugged her shoulders in indifference, her gaze was lowered. "Are you in pain?" Arizona asked as she scanned her eyes over the girl's body. Riley shook her head negatively. "Well you need anything? Water, extra blanket – I could ask one of the nurses -"

"I'm fine" Riley whispered softly. Arizona was a bit surprised to hear the girl form two actual words.

"What is it then?" Arizona asked, almost desperately. "Honey if there's anything you want to tell me…" Arizona started saying. But then she had an idea.

"Riley, do you know what doctor – patient confidentiality means?" The girl shook her head. "It means that whatever you tell me, will never leave this room if you don't want to. Doctors are obligated by the law to keep their patient's secrets" Arizona explained.

Riley looked up and stared at her doctor for a moment. She had a thoughtful look on her face, as if she was weighing her options. "What if it's bad?" she finally asked.

"What?" Arizona replied in confusion.

"My secret, what if it's bad?"

"I would still have to keep it a secret" Arizona said hesitantly, not sure where this is going. She took the girl's hand in her's and said "Riley, you are safe here, you understand? We, as your doctors, won't let anybody hurt you again. But if you want me to help you, you need to tell me what happened".

The girl pulled her hands away. She looked aside, not daring to make eye contact with the woman in front of her. She was nervous, it was obvious.

"Jeff yells a lot" the girls discharged abruptly.

"Your foster dad?" Arizona asked. The girl nodded in hesitation.

"And sometimes he would put off his cigarette on my skin" she said as she subconsciously rubbed her hand over her arm.

"What else did Jeff do?" Arizona whispered. The clenching feeling in her guts growing even stronger now.

"He…he would grab me…and…and he would push me…on the ground" Riley answered, her voice barely audible as she struggled to form her words. "Angela, she yells too. Sometimes she would spit on me and she would slap me if I talked back." Riley sniffed her nose and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Arizona was frozen. She didn't know how to approach the girl. Should she hug her? Comfort her?

"I had to runaway. I couldn't stay there any longer. They wouldn't hit the other kids as bad because they didn't talk back. And when Jeff found me, he dragged me back into the house. He got so mad. He slapped me till I fell on the floor and then he kicked me and he… - "Arizona pulled the girl to her chest.

"Shhh it's okay now. It's all gonna be okay". She whispered softly. The girl was shaking and her body was slightly resistant. Arizona tried to keep it together, but every tear the girl shed broke her heart. And to think she kept it in for so long! Arizona wiped the small tears filling up her eyes.

"Please Dr. Robbins you have to believe me!" the girl begged.

"I believe you Riley. I believe you". Arizona assured the girl.

After a while the girl finally fell asleep. Arizona stayed by her bedside, reassuring her that everything will be taken care of. It was a little weird, she knew it. A doctor shouldn't really be this involved with a patient, but she couldn't help it. Something about this girl was…unlike anything she had ever seen. Arizona knew she was the only one who could help her.

_Callie would have known what to do_, Arizona thought to herself. Her wife had better "motherly instincts". She knew how to handle situations like this one. Ironically, they had been talking about adopting a baby of their own, something Arizona never thought she would do. But after meeting Callie, everything changed. Callie made all of Arizona's dreams come true, dreams she didn't even know she had. And now it was time for Arizona, to make her wife's biggest dream come true in return.

She got up slowly and it was then when she was finally able to take a good look over the girl's features. She was small, way too small for an 11 year old and very skinny. Her skin tone was very pale, probably due to her injuries. Next, Arizona moved her gaze to the young girl's face. Her eyes were closed and she had a peaceful expression on that matched her heavy breathing. Her face was a little swollen still, though there were noticeable signs of healing. But even with all the black and blue bruises on her features, she was still beautiful. She has long light brown hair, _the kind that turned slightly blond when exposed to sunlight_, Arizona thought to herself. She was so small and fragile.

_Don't worry Riley, everything will be alright…_Arizona promised, though the girl was in deep sleep.

The doctor took one final look at her patient and left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey" Callie said as she entered the on call room. Arizona didn't come home last night, she decided to stay in the hospital and monitor her patients. Callie had just come out of an 8 hour long surgery and it was the first time she saw her wife since they parted last night.

"Hey…" Arizona said. She was lying on the bed, face up, her hands supporting the back of her head.

"You okay?" Callie asked as she noticed Arizona's thoughtful expression. The brunette sat on the end of bed and rubbed her wife's feet gently.

"Yeah, no I'm fine" the blond said while nodding her head." How did the surgery go?"

"It was good. How was the night shift?"

"It was good too. It was a slow night." Arizona pulled her body and sat up.

"You sure everything is okay?" Callie asked again. She recognized Arizona's "worried look". She knew something was up.

Arizona looked at her wife with hesitation. "Riley talked to me". She finally said with a slightly choked voice. Arizona had to share the things Riley told her with someone, she had to get it off her chest and she knew Callie would know what to do.

Arizona told Callie everything. Small tears formed in the corner of her blue eyes as she recalled upon the things the young girl had told her last night.

"Oh my God…poor kid…" Callie whispered. The brunette did suspect the foster parents might have something to do with Riley's injuries, however she never imagine it would be this bad. The kid had been physically abused for so long without anybody noticing.

"Callie, I don't know what to do". Arizona admitted.

"You have to call Jane, she needs to know about this. And the police too, these people should be imprisoned". Callie said coldly.

"Ok yeah you're right" Arizona exhaled heavily and started to get up. "I can't stop wondering what would happen to her now..."

"I don't know but we need to make sure she won't be going back to those…those monsters". Callie said and started following her wife.

* * *

Arizona and Callie went to Owen, the chief of surgery, and told him everything. After that, Owen and Arizona went to contact the authorities and Callie went to Riley's room to check on her fracture. It was a routine check, but a part of Callie also wanted to see the girl now that she knew her background story. Callie made sure to act as if everything was normal, after all she didn't want to scare the girl.

"Hey Riley" Callie said as she entered the room. "I'm just gonna check your arm, okay?". Riley nodded.

Riley was staring at the nurses' station from outside her door. She took a deep breath and sighed. "She's gonna call child services right?" Riley asked, still staring forward, not making eye contact with her doctor.

"What?" Callie asked.

"Dr. Robbins. She's gonna call them" the girl said hastily.

"Riley…" Callie said softly. She could see the girl was frightened, her eyes were open widely and she was staring at the door as if she expected someone to break in and grab her.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything…I knew no one will believe me…and now they're gonna take me back to Jeff and Angela and - " the girl was mumbling anxiously.

"Hey hey…look at me" Callie took the frightened girl's hands in hers and looked deeply into her eyes. That kid had the weirdest and most beautiful eye color Callie had ever seen. It was a shade of deep grey with just a little touch of blue. The girl's eyes were…cold…but also very soulful. It was haunting and Callie couldn't stop staring at them.

The surgeon shook her head when she realized she was staring for a bit too long and it was starting to get creepy. "You are not going back to those people. Dr. Robbins is doing everything she can to make sure that doesn't happen. Okay? We believe you".

Callie continued looking into the girl's sad eyes until the girl nodded in agreement. "Well it looks like your arm is healing nicely. How about in the meantime I'll go talk to Dr. Robbins and see what's going on, okay?" Riley nodded and turned her view back to the room's window.

* * *

"Hey" Callie said behind Arizona's back.

"Oh hey, I just finished talking to Jane from child services" Arizona said while turning to face her wife.

"What did she say?"

"We've called the police as well and they've arrested Riley's foster parents and are starting an investigation. Someone will come over tomorrow to question Riley too".

"What about the other kids?" Callie asked. Riley's foster parents were looking after 3 more foster kids other than Riley. All which were physically mistreated as well.

"They will be taken into other foster homes. They were taken into an orphanage in the meantime." Arizona explained.

"Poor kids…been through so much" Callie almost whispered.

"Yeah. At least they are safe for now" Arizona said optimistically.

"And what will happen to Riley?" Callie asked. She noticed Arizona's expression saddened when she mentioned the girl's name.

"She's gonna have to stay in here for a little longer. Hopefully by the time she gets better Jane will find her another foster home. If not she'll be taken into an orphanage like the other kids". Arizona felt a small pinch in her heart when she thought about Riley going into an orphanage.

"Let's go home" Callie said, interrupting Arizona's thought process.

"Yeah…let's go home" Arizona agreed.

* * *

At their apartment, Arizona was sitting on the living room sofa dressed in her comfy sweats, reading a book. Coming from the kitchen holding two glasses of wine, Callie sat next to her wife and handed her a glass.

"Arizona?" Callie began saying hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Arizona sounded, her gaze still invested in the book.

Callie exhaled air out from her lungs. She wanted to ask Arizona something, but didn't know how to say it without sounding nosey or making Arizona freak out. She gulped more of her wine.

"What is it?" Arizona asked sensing her wife's uneasiness. She put the book on the coffee table and snuggled closer to Callie's side. Callie was tracing circles around the tip of her wine glass nervously.

"Nothing I was just…" Her eyes were still following the traces around the glass, not daring to lift her head and look at Arizona.

"You just…? What? Calliope use your words". Arizona said in frustration, wishing her wife would just spit it out.

"I just wanted to tell you that I liked watching you with that kid Riley" the words flew out of Callie's mouth.

"What?" Arizona asked in confusion.

Callie lifted her body up and started rambling. She could sense Arizona might get defensive. "Well I mean…you really cared for her – ".

"Yes Calliope it's called patient care, we all do it. It's an important part of our job" Arizona pointed out, while cutting into Callie's words.

"Don't get snappy I just meant that…you know…you fought for her…and I'm proud of you" Callie smiled, hoping that might ease Arizona's building anger.

"Thank you baby" Arizona said and moved her head to give Callie a small peck on the lips. " But you don't have to be proud of me for just doing my job…you do the same thing with your patients".

"Well yeah, I mean of course we all care about our patient but this case was different…" Callie argued.

"Yeah I know it was a special case and the kid was all alone but still, she's a patient. That's all".

"Is she though?" Callie said, deciding to push it just a little further.

"Is she what?" Arizona asked with annoyance. What was Callie trying to say?

"Just a patient? Because it's okay –"

"Of course she's just a patient Callie. It was a tough case and I felt bad for the kid but it's all over now and hopefully she will be taken into a nice home with nice people". The blond said. She then returned to reading her book, signaling her wife that they're done talking.

"Ok…" Callie knew this wasn't it, but decided to leave it at that.

Arizona clearly wasn't ready to reveal her true feelings about that kid. Callie knew her wife. And as passionate and caring that she was towards her tiny patients, Callie also had never seen Arizona interact with a kid like that. And for a woman, that up until not so long ago was against the idea of having children, that was a big deal. But with all of that, Arizona was who she was. And she wasn't a person that talked about "big deals" easily. Callie knew her wife would talk to her when she was ready. So for now, she let it be.

* * *

It was 2:00 A.M and darkness fell over Seattle's skyline. Riley is wide awake. She sits up and glances over to the nurses' station, nobody is out there - the coast was clear. Riley knew she had one shot and that she had to be quick. She needed to get out. No way was she going back to that horrible house. No – this time she would save herself. She won't be going back to being humiliated, and beaten and abused. Those people from child services, they couldn't help her; even Dr. Robbins couldn't help her. They didn't understand. She was all alone. The only person Riley could trust completely was herself.

Riley turned off the monitor so it won't start beeping and then she started taking out all the tubes connected to her. She took a deep breath as sharp pain tickled her arm when she pulled the IV needle out from her vein. The IV fluid spilled on the floor and a little bit of blood was oozing from her hand. She then quickly climbed off the bed and glanced over outside again, just to make sure that still, no one was watching. She pulled her belongings and undressed her hospital gown. She pulled her clothes on carefully, slightly twitching from the sharp pain coming from her injured arm when she put on her shirt. She put her ragged shoes on and grabbed her bag. Riley opened it to see if everything was still there. She didn't own much; all she had was a picture of her and Andrew when they were little, it was the only picture she had of her brother, a small pocketknife Andrew gave her, and a sweatshirt. She pulled the bag over her right shoulder and started making her move.

Riley peeked outside to make sure the scope was still clear, and with a brisk movement she sneaked to the elevators. In retrospect, taking the stairs may have been safer, but using the elevators was _faster_. Riley pushed the elevator button frantically; Hoping, praying, no one will see her. At Last, the elevator doors opened with a small ding. Riley entered the vacant elevator and pushed the button for the entrance floor. _Almost there_, she reassured herself; she just needed to get through those front doors and everything will be alright.

Her arm started bugging her, probably because of all the movement, but she sucked it up, she had too. The elevator doors opened and Riley got out. There were a lot more people in the entrance floor, however nobody paid attention. She looked like a regular visitor, not an escaped patient. Casually, Riley walked to the front entrance and stepped outside.

She breathed the cold Seattle air into her lungs. She was free. Without thinking twice, Riley sprung into a fast movement, and disappeared into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Arizona woke up to the irritating sound of her pager. She glanced at the clock on her bed side, it was 03:37 A.M. _This better be important_, she stated mentally. Arizona sat up and looked at the pager, it was a 911 from Alex. Callie, who also woke up from the page, rolled over and looked at her wife dialing a number on her cell phone.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Got a page from Alex".

The resident answered the phone after one ring "Hey Alex, what happ - ?" But before Arizona could form a question , Alex started shooting information rapidly.

Callie watched her wife's expression, it was dark but she could still see it and something was wrong. The brunette got up and put her arm on Arizona's shoulder protectively; Arizona's expression became serious and her eyes widen with fear.

"Give me 5 minutes". Arizona got up quickly and started getting dressed.

"What happened?" Callie asked.

"It's Riley" Arizona responded coldly.

Callie got up and started getting dressed as well.

* * *

"How could this have happened?" Arizona yelled at Alex. "I specifically put you in charge tonight so you would keep an eye on her! Apparently you can't even handle monitoring a patient. That's an intern's job Alex!"

"Look, I checked her vital signs at 1:00, she was stable and asleep. It was a slow night and I had nothing to do so I told the nurses I'm going to lie down and that if something were to happen they should page me". Alex explained. Arizona just gave him a frustrated look and turned around.

Arizona was mad. No, she furious. How could Alex be so irresponsible? How could he let Riley escape? _I will make sure that idiot will never see the inside of an OR again_, Arizona said to herself.

"Okay, but there were still nurses all over the floor, how could she have runaway without anybody noticing?" Callie pointed out.

"Alex, when did you find out Riley was gone?" Owen asked, as the chief of surgery he needed to know they got a sick kid on the loose.

"I was paged at 03:00 by one of the nurses. When I entered the room the kid was gone with all of her stuff " Alex explained.

"Okay so approximately two hours have passed from the last time she was seen to the time someone noticed she was gone" Owen stated.

"This is bad who knows where she is by now. Owen, this kid is very sick, she's on medication and she could be…I don't know… bleeding on the cold hard ground in some dark alley. We have to find her. Fast." Arizona said, almost desperately. Callie rubbed her hands over Arizona's back. She knew her wife was genuinely worried about this girl. And frankly so was she.

"Alright, I'll go call the police. In the meantime, you should question the nurses and everyone who was at the entrance floor between 01:00 – 03:00, see if you could find anything" Owen ordered. "We better find this kid". He said, switching his gaze from Arizona to Alex.

"Robbins, I swear I thought she was asleep and – " Alex defended when Owen left the room.

"It's okay Alex. It's not your fault. Let's just focus on finding her" Arizona answered optimistically. "Go down stairs and start questioning people, Callie and I will talk to the nurses on this floor".

"Yeah okay". The resident nodded and started running towards the elevators.

"Arizona wait" Callie said as she grabbed her wife's arm and pulled her to the side. "This morning, when I went to check on Riley's arm…she was really scared. She thought child services might send her back to her foster family".

"What? No, what did you say to her?" Arizona asked, slightly annoyed. Why didn't Callie mention this before?

"I told her that we we're – you were - doing everything to make sure that she'll be safe".

"Did she believe you?" Arizona asked.

Callie shook her head in uncertainty.

"I don't know."

* * *

Two days had passed. And still no sign of Riley.

Policemen kept coming in and out of the PEDs ward, questioning Arizona, the nurses, the staff, looking for clues. The police sent search teams all over Seattle and the surrounding area.

Callie was heading to the PEDs ward with two cups of coffee. She saw Arizona talking to yet another policeman. The officer thanked Arizona and left. Arizona turned around to greet her wife and gladly grabbed the much needed cup of coffee.

"Any news?" Callie asked.

"Nope" Arizona said, sadness covering her features. She shook her head in frustration. "I just...I can't stop thinking this is my fault…" she confessed.

"You're doing everything you can" Callie said gently. "Come here" she said while pulling Arizona into a hug.

"I should have stayed with her, she was scared, and alone, and -"

Callie pulled away from the hug and instead put her hands over Arizona's arms " . . " She enunciated while looking into Arizona's eyes deeply. "Don't worry, Owen says the police recruited volunteers and they're searching all over the place. They _will_ find her". Callie said optimistically. The brunette even forced a smile, as she tried to cheer up her wife.

"If she's still alive" Arizona said, her eyes pulling away.

* * *

The rest of the day went on as usual, Arizona tried to keep her mind busy with procrastinated paperwork, but she still kept looking at her pager every couple of minutes, hoping Owen or the police might have good news. Finally her shift ended and she walked over to the nurses' station, where Callie was already waiting for her; they exchanged small smiles, joint hands and started heading over to the elevators. On their way they meet Owen; the man's shirt was untucked, his tie was loose and he was yelling at someone on the phone.

"Putting off fires?" Callie teased.

"You have no idea. Sometimes I forget I'm a surgeon. I haven't seen an OR in weeks!" the man ranted in frustration.

"Did you hear anything new?" Arizona asked with a glimpse of hope in her voice.

In the corner of her eye, Callie saw a suspicious figure leaving the elevators. Arizona and Owen were talking so they didn't notice the silhouette approaching them. They were too far, and Callie couldn't see clearly who this mysterious man was…if it even was a man.

"Sorry Robbins, no news. You should go home and rest, the police can handle this". Owen said.

The figure kept moving towards them. Callie tuned out of the conversation, completely ignoring whatever it was that Arizona and Owen were talking about. There was something about that…that person, that was familiar to her. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. _It can't be a man_, Callie thought to herself. The person was short, almost like a kid. She had to get a better look in order to identify the mysterious character, but the person had a hoodie on which covered his or her face almost entirely.

"Arizona –" Callie said with suspicion.

The person was wobbling, its shoulders hunched and its hands were clenching its stomach strongly. "Dr. Robbins", Arizona turned around when she heard someone calling her from behind. The person lifted one hand and removed the hoodie from its face.

"Riley" Arizona said in relief.

"Please I… - " The girl collapsed before completing her sentence. Both Callie and Arizona knelt down on each of the girl's sides to support her fall.

"Someone, get us a gurney!" Owen shouted.

Arizona removed the girl's grip from her stomach, and gasped when she saw the blood stains forming on her shirt. "There's blood coming from her stitches. She's hemorrhaging internally" she said in panic.

Callie put her fingers over the girl's pulse point and gave her wife a worried look. "Her heart beat is low. We gotta get her into surgery".


	5. Chapter 5

***Some of the dialogue in the beginning of this chapter is taken from E05S09, I was having some difficulties with the medical stuff…so yeah I don't own anything…**

**If there are any mistakes with the medical jargon, once again – Sorry!**

* * *

"Alex, I need you to suction like your life depends on it, I need more visibility" Arizona urged the resident. Riley's body was cut open on the OR table, blood gushing rapidly from her abdomen.

"There's too much blood, Suction keeps on clogging" Alex defended himself.

"Then just get in there and scoop it out with your hands" Callie suggested. The resident did as she said, and started pulling out puddles of blood.

"Okay that's better" Arizona said. "Come on, come on, come on" she mumbled as she tried to find the bleeding source through the mess.

All of the sudden the monitor started beeping, signaling the doctors the girl's body was falling into distress.

"Her pressure's dropping" Alex marked.

"Damn it, I gotta find this bleeding" Arizona turned her gaze to the nurse assisting her "let's add in more blood". The nurse nodded and did as Arizona asked.

"Robbins we've already replaced her entire blood volume 3 times" The resident pointed out to his attending.

"I know I know just shut up, I need to find the source of the bleeding" Arizona rambled. They were running out of time…

"Vitals are dropping, she's getting unstable" Callie commented.

"Just a sec…" Arizona pleaded. There was blood covering every inch of the girl's abdomen, blocking her visibility. She shifted her hands over the girl's internal organs, in an attempt to locate the cause of the bleeding.

The monitor kept beeping more rapidly as the girl's organs were shutting down. She was dying.

"She's coding, bring over the crash cart" Callie ordered. The nurse handed her the defibrillator's pads "Clear!" she shouted. The three surgeons turned their heads to the patient's monitor, the vital signs were still dropping.

"Charge it again" Arizona ordered.

"Clear!" Callie shouted once more, yet the monitor kept on beeping frantically.

"Robbins she's not – " Alex started saying.

" Shut up!" Callie and Arizona shouted in unison.

"Recharge it again – clear!" Callie tried again; only this time it worked. The monitor's wild sounds stopped, the girl's signs were ascending slowly.

"Vital signs are getting stable" Arizona said as everybody in the OR sighed in relief. Arizona gave Alex a scolding look "Let's find this bleeder and save this girl's life".

Arizona closed her eyes and continued scanning the girl's organs. She relied on her instincts and experience to lead her to source of the problem. She exhaled deeply and gathered her fullest attention, it was just her and the patient.

"There! I found it" She announced. Alex suctioned closer to where Arizona situated her hands and the two started working.

Callie was examining the girl's radius fracture. It was severe and the girl's arm was getting distorted.

"How bad is it?" Arizona asked.

"Bad, very bad. The bone is starting to get deformed. I'm gonna need to put an external fixator".

"Ok, let's get going before she becomes unstable again". Arizona stated.

* * *

"Karev, I need you to do Riley's post ops. Page me when you get the results or if anything happens, I want an update on her vitals every 30 minutes" Arizona ordered once the three were out of surgery.

"Got it" The resident said and went on to do as his attending requested.

"Coffee?" Callie suggested, stretching her body after the exhaustive surgery.

"YES!" the blond replied in desperation.

* * *

"Give her a shot of epi, and charge me again" Arizona ordered the nurse assisting her. "Clear!"

The monitor stopped beeping, signaling the doctors their patient's heart beat had restored. "She's back". Callie said in relief.

"How are her vitals?"

"Stable…ish…" Callie answered.

Arizona turned her gaze to the nurse. "Page me if she crashes again".

"Yes doctor" the nurse replied.

The two doctors left the room and pulled two chairs from the nurses' station. Riley was in recovery, still unconscious after the long surgery when Callie and Arizona were paged to perform resuscitation.

Arizona exhaled air deeply and rested her head over on Callie's shoulder." It's the third time tonight…I don't know how much more her body could take" she said. It was 04:00 A.M and the two hadn't left Riley's bedside since she was out of surgery. "She almost didn't come back this time…"

Callie put her arm over Arizona's back and kissed her head. "But she did. She wants to live. She'll get stronger" the brunette assured her wife.

"God, I hope so. Thanks for staying with me though" Arizona lifted her head and kissed Callie on the cheek. They always worked well together.

"No problem". Callie said and returned a tiresome smile. "I mean she's my patient too and I've got surgery in the morning so I had to be here early anyways"

The two kept sitting in silence for a few moments. It was a long night and they were both tired.

"I don't know why I got so invested with this one…but you were right…she's not just a patient" Arizona admitted, her view turned to the poor girl. She didn't dare to make eye contact with Callie.

Callie chuckled quietly. "I'm always right".

"Well I'm the one who's usually right, but I'll let you take the credit this time" Arizona countered, letting out a faint laugh.

The two fell into silence again. Each invested in her own thoughts and reflections.

"It's a tough case". Callie broke the silence. "Apart from the medicine there had to be some emotional involvement…it's always like this with tough cases".

Arizona shook her head. "Not like this though…she's different". She said, still staring at the girl through the window.

"Yeah…she really is… "Callie was looking at the girl as well. A small smile bent on her face.

"She's so small …and breakable…" Arizona pointed sadly.

Callie chuckled bitterly. "Yeah, I feel like wrapping her in bubble wrap so she'll stay safe."

The blond let out a small laugh. "Yeah…and she has sad eyes…"

"She does. She's been in this hospital for days and I hadn't seen her smile even once…" Callie stated.

"I hope they find her a nice family. She deserves it". Arizona wished.

Callie felt a small pinch in heart at the sound of Arizona's words. Something about sending this girl to another family…just didn't feel right. And she was a little shocked at the steadiness of Arizona's words. Somehow she expected that it would be a little harder for her wife to let the girl go, after all they've been through.

"Yeah me too…"

* * *

Callie went to rest in an on call room, she had to get up for a big surgery in a couple hours and she was exhausted. Though as tired as she was, she just couldn't sleep. She lay on her back, her arms supporting her head.

_I hope they find her a nice family. She deserves it. _

Arizona's words haunted her thoughts. After everything that had happened to her, Riley would never trust another family again. For some reason the idea of that kid going into another foster family, irritated Callie. It felt wrong. And she didn't know why.

She started thinking about Arizona. They had decided to adopt a baby and she was naturally very excited about it. _A soft, tiny, beautiful baby _that would be entirely theirs. Unlike Arizona, she always knew she would have kids but it took a lot from Arizona's side to agree to this decision. In fact they almost broke up over it. But at the end, when you find your person - it changes you. Callie learnt to give Arizona some time to get used to the idea of having a baby, and in return, Arizona followed and made some sacrifices on her side too.

Once decided, they started debating over the method in which they would choose to bring a child together. Callie was more drawn to the idea of getting a sperm donor, as she always wanted to experience pregnancy and carry her child. Arizona however, felt very strongly about adoption. After many deliberations, fights, make ups and more deliberations, they had decided on adoption. At the end it didn't matter, as long as they were going to have a baby.

But this thing with Riley, it changes everything. Arizona admitted it, she wasn't just a patient to her. Callie knew her wife had a clear connection with this kid that went above a simple doctor – patient relationship. _She loved her_. Somehow that maternal instinct Arizona always feared she didn't have, poured out of her body and fought for this little girl. And Callie loved seeing her wife like that. The question was, did that kid mean the same to her?

Callie didn't know Riley as much as Arizona did, she didn't really get to talk to her. But she did feel drawn to Riley, she didn't know if it was because of Arizona or simply because she felt sympathetic towards the girl. She genuinely cared about her and she wanted to help her. And the thought of that kid going into some stranger's home, felt…unnatural.

Riley trusted Arizona.

Arizona was the person Riley confessed too and Arizona was the person Riley came for looking for help. Heck, maybe the kid loved her too. And maybe, if Riley would get to know Callie, she would lover her as well.

They could take Riley in and take care of her. Make her believe in humanity again, help her trust people. She could learn to be loved and to play, and she could go to school and interact with other kids. _We can do this…can we?_ Callie asked herself. This is possible. Or is it?

Callie paged Arizona.

* * *

"Thank you" Arizona said as she handed the barista the money for her coffee. It was early morning, Callie went to rest up before her surgery and Arizona was in desperate need for coffee. The blond walked back to the PEDs ward and sat in the nurses' station, she pulled out a chart and started scrabbling in information. Riley was still unconscious, yet she was stable, her vitals slowly growing stronger.

Arizona shook her head and tried to focus her attention back on her chart. Frankly, the way she cared about Riley was scaring her a bit. It was weird, she was her _patient, _but Arizona acted as if she was her _daughter_ or something. And it's not like Arizona hadn't seen other messed up kids before; because she did. But something about this particular kid, made her heart ache. Literally, physically ache.

It's strange how this kid burst into their lives just when she and Callie decided on adopting a baby. _So what, this case was supposed to show me that I'm capable of being a mother?_ Arizona thought to herself, funny how things work out…

Arizona never thought she would be a mother. She loved her family, she loved kids, but she wasn't the motherly kind. She was "the sleep – in late, eat ice cream for breakfast , go shopping and travel around Europe" type of person. Not the "soccer mom, poop wiping, puke cleaning" kind. But her wife was. Callie wanted a baby her whole life; and strangely, Arizona loved that about her. And soon enough they would be the "soccer moms, poop wiping, puke cleaning" kind. And Arizona was genuinely excited about this. She loved her wife, and if she could have a part in making her happy, that would mean the world to her. Even if they won't be able to travel around Europe or sleep in late.

And then she looked at Riley, and her heart ached again. _Is this what is feels? To love a child?_ Could Arizona really love Riley in that way?...it's not like she was her kid or anything.

Arizona's thoughts were interrupted by a page from her wife. She closed the chart and started heading towards the on call room to meet Callie.

* * *

"Hey" Arizona said as she popped her head behind the on call room door. "Everything alright?" she asked.

" Yeah no ,everything is great…" Callie discharged nervously. She was pacing around the room rapidly, trying to think of how to say what she needed to say. "I just needed to tell you something".

"Okay.." Arizona let out a small laugh at her wife's apparent nervousness. She approached her wife closer and tried to put her hands around Callie's Waist. However Callie stopped her and took Arizona's hands in hers instead. Callie looked deeply into her wife's blue eyes and sighed.

"I think we should foster Riley". She finally said.

"What?" Arizona asked in shock, pulling her hands from Callie's.

"Look I know its weird – and we have been talking about adopting a kid –" Callie started explaining.

"We've been talking about adopting a baby – " Arizona interrupted her.

"Yes but you don't want to have a baby – " Callie pointed out, taking Arizona's hands in hers again. They were going to talk about it. Whether Arizona like it or not.

"But I want to have a baby with _you_" Arizona admitted, putting an emphasis on the word _you_.

"Arizona, you obviously have a connection with this kid, and I think I might have one too" Callie said. She continued looking into her wife's eyes as to make sure Arizona really listens to what she has to say. "You _love_ her".

"Callie – " Arizona turned her gaze away, she started speaking yet Callie interrupted her and grabbed her hands tighter. Arizona turned her eyes back to Callie's.

"You do. And you're the only one she trusts. She needs you. She needs…_us_. She could be our kid". A grin tuned up on Callie's face as she heard the words coming from her mouth. _Their kid_.

"Calliope…" Arizona whispered.

"I think we should do this" Callie said in confidence.

Arizona hugged Callie tight. And just like that all of her fears and doubts left her and all that occupied her mind was an image of Callie, Riley and herself. Arizona pulled Callie's face into a loving kiss. When she opened her eyes she saw Callie's beautiful smile.

"You really wanna do this?" Arizona asked, just to make sure.

"Yeah I mean if you do…I don't want to push you or anything".

"No, I do, I do" Arizona defended.

"Okay, so we should probably call Jane from child services" Callie suggested.

"Yeah, we probably should". Arizona agreed, with a smile on her face.

"We might be getting a kid!" Callie said in excitement.

"We're getting a kid…" the blond repeated softly.

Arizona broke their hold to the sound of her page buzzing.

"Riley woke up" She announced after taking a look.

The two joint hands and started walking towards Riley room.


	6. Chapter 6

***The dialogue between Callie and Mark is taken from E07S07, I don't own anything…**

**I know it's a bit weird but I thought it might be funny…**

* * *

"Let me get this straight" Jane, the child protecting services social worker, started saying. "You want to become Riley's foster parents?"

"Well…umm yeah" Callie answered.

They were in a conference room. Callie an Arizona sat next to each other and held hands beneath the table. They scheduled a meeting with the social worker so they could tell her of their interest in becoming Riley's foster family. The two were quite nervous about this meeting; the situation was a bit conflicting because they were Riley's doctors and they weren't sure how the social worker was going to react.

"Look, this is a nice gesture, but I think you're over your heads here. Riley's a tough case, and as her doctors you obviously got emotionally involved. I appreciate you taking an interest in her, but we've got this".

"Jane, this isn't what you think…" Arizona started explaining.

"Fostering a child isn't a decision you make lightly. You're bringing someone else's child into your home. That's a big decision. And besides, there is a formal procedure you'll need to pass, there's an evaluation process, training courses, background checks…"

"This is not a decision Arizona and I made lightly" Callie pointed out, and went on explaining their motive. "But you're right we did get emotionally involve. We care about Riley, a lot. And after all that she's been through, we think she should go to a home where she could be loved and protected".

"And we can give her that home". Arizona added. She looked at her wife and squeezed her hand tighter beneath the table. She was hoping their heartfelt words were getting through the doubtful woman.

"Again, and I appreciate the concern, but I can't make any exceptions here. If you're really interested you're welcome to contact the services and apply for a position after you complete all the requirements"

"And what if Riley would be taken into another foster home by then?" Arizona asked.

"Dr. Robbins there are plenty of other children waiting to be taken into a foster care" Jane replied coldly.

"You don't understand, we don't just want to foster Riley. We're thinking about adopting her". Callie discharged suddenly. Arizona's grip tightened around her wife's hand. They haven't really talked about adoption, but they didn't have too. It was clear to the both of them that Riley was _their_ kid. And they were meant to be her family.

"You want to adopt Riley?" for the first time the social worker looked almost taken by surprise.

"Yes. My wife and I have been talking about adopting a child for a while now" Callie said as she turned her head to look at Arizona."And then…we've met Riley. We know she's been through a lot and that she will need special attention and care; but she trusts Arizona more than anyone, you saw so yourself. And we think we've got a real connection with her".

"Yeah and her health won't be an issue, as she will be surrounded by two doctors" Arizona added.

"Please, is there anything you can do?" the brunette pleaded.

Jane sighed and took a moment to think about the things she had just heard. She has been assigned on Riley's case for over two years. She knew that kid well. She had seen her thrown out of numerous different foster homes, she saw her loose her brother. One thing she hadn't seen before. She had never seen someone care about Riley like that. Not since her brother died. These two were willing to fight for Riley, and that meant something."Well…since it is a special case, I might be able to speed up some of the process. I'm going to book a meeting with our evaluators, you'll have to bring two references who know you well and that would be willing to testify for you. I'll email you the rest of the paperwork". She explained.

Callie and Arizona looked at each other and smiled. They thanked the woman and watched her leave the conference room, feeling hopeful and excited at once.

* * *

A week had passed and Callie and Arizona were waiting patiently for the call that would let them know whether they will get to take Riley with them, or not. They hadn't told anybody, not even Riley. They were really busy with getting all the paperwork straight and going to various interviews. Jane has been really helpful with speeding up everything. Once they would get the clarification, they would be able to take Riley home for an evaluation period and if all goes well, they would be able to proceed with the adoption process.

That night however, Callie and Arizona were at Mark and Lexie's place. They've decided it was time to share their exciting news with their friends.

Callie and Mark left the kitchen, each holding two glasses of wine. Mark sat on the couch next to Lexie and handed her one glass. Callie sat on the other couch in front of them, next to Arizona, and handed her a glass as well. The two gulped some of their wine. Callie placed her glass on the coffee table. She took her wife's hand in hers and breathed. "You guys, Arizona and I have some big news we would like to share with you".

"We haven't told anyone yet…but Callie and I might become foster parents" Arizona announced.

"What?" Mark asked in confusion. He sat up straight and placed his glass on the table as well.

"Umm…well we have met or rather treated this amazing girl, she's 11 years old and her name's Riley. And umm…we're hoping that by next week we'll become her foster family" Callie explained.

"Hold on a sec…she's you're patient?" Mark asked. Now that was something you don't hear every day. How come Callie didn't mention this to him before? They were best friends! This is the kind of thing best friends talk about.

"Aww you guys! That's really great!" Lexie said in excitement.

"I thought you guys we're getting a baby" Mark pointed out.

"You we're getting a baby?" Lexie asked in confusion; she was clearly left out of things.

"We talked about getting a baby…but things changed" Callie explained.

"Where did this come from?" Marked asked, glancing over to his best friend.

Arizona noticed Mark's look and started explaining. "As Callie said ,Riley has been our patient for the past few weeks. She came into the ER after being severely beaten and abused by her former foster care…"

"It was bad she almost didn't make it" Callie added.

"Right and umm…I don't know…she's really shy and closed up obviously considering what she's been through…but she's also really sweet and Callie and I feel very strongly about her…" Arizona said, she looked at her wife and smiled.

"Wait, was she that kid that ran away from PEDs a few weeks ago?" Lexie asked.

"Yep that's her" Callie said, probably sounding a bit too proud.

"Oh wow…but congratulation guys! This is amazing!" the young woman said.

"We're supposed to get the call tonight…" Arizona said nervously.

"And – if everything will go as planned – Arizona and I would appreciate it if you and Mark would write a recommendation for us…it's part of the process…"

"Of course we'll do it" Lexie agreed in excitement without even looking at Mark. She got up from the sofa and went over to hug Callie and Arizona. "And don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out!" she added in confidence.

"Fingers crossed…" Callie said.

Callie and Mark went to the kitchen to get a refill while Lexie and Arizona stayed in the living room chatting. For some reason, Callie got the notion that Mark wasn't on board with her decision and she was hoping they would get to talk.

"What is it Mark?" Callie asked as she pulled out a new wine bottle from the cabin.

"Nothing…it's not my place…I don't know" the man shrugged his shoulders and turned around to get the bottle opener.

"Say it" Callie demanded.

The man sighed and looked at his best friend. "I give a lot of boob jobs".

"Ok" Callie laughed a little. "Not where I thought you were going…" she leaned on the kitchen counter and waited for an explanation.

"But I also reverse a lot of boob jobs; women come to me a year – two years after they've had work done, and they're totally unhappy with the decision they've made. As your friend I gotta tell you – you sounded an awful lot like someone who's getting double d's just cause her wife likes a big wreck. By big wreck I mean adopting a teenager" Mark summed up his monologue.

" Mark! That's extremely inappropriate!" Callie exclaimed and hit her best friend playfully on the shoulder. That was the weirdest metaphor she had ever heard.

"I know I know but I didn't know how else to put it..." Mark said apologetically.

"And she's hardly a teenager. She's 11!"

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is – are you sure about this Torres?" Mark asked. Callie could tell he meant well…but why on earth did he have to say it in such a weird way?

"Yes Mark of course I'm sure! God, can't you just be supportive…" Callie was slightly disappointed with Mark's reaction. They always got each other's backs and she was hoping her best friend would show a little more support. She never questioned his decisions that way.

"Okay…yeah you're right. But I thought you guys agreed on getting a baby…" Mark said. He really didn't know how things escalated so fast.

"Well things…changed. Not because we don't want a baby any more, I don't know, maybe we would have a baby one day. But this kid…she's different. And it feels…right…you know?…like she belongs to our family". Callie had a little trouble explaining herself, but she knew Mark understood.

Mark smile at his best friend and gave her a big brotherly hug.

"We're thinking about adopting her…I mean if everything will go well with the fostering and we'll pass all the evaluations…"

Mark broke their hug and turned his gaze to Callie. "That's really great Callie I'm happy for you and Robbins!"

"Thank you" Callie said softly. Mark was like family to her, and it meant a lot that he was willing to support her decision…even if he didn't understand it completely. "You're gonna love her Mark! She's really great!" she said proudly.

"Can't wait to meet her!" he said.

* * *

It was getting a little late, and after some good laughs and two wine bottles Callie and Arizona returned to their apartment. Just as they opened the door, the phone rang and Arizona jumped quickly to answer it.

"Hello?" she said. "Yes this is Dr. Robbins. Oh hi…yeah…umm hmm"

Callie stood aside trying to read her wife's reaction. Was this the phone call they were waiting for?

"…umm hmm…that sounds great! Thank you so much! Good night…" the blond said cheerfully and hung up the phone.

"Well?" Callie asked nervously.

A big smiled formed on the blond's face, showing off her dimples. She walked over to her wife and pulled her closer, putting her arms around her waist.

"We got Riley" she said softly. The grin never leaving her cheerful face.

Callie returned a smile and pulled her wife into a loving kiss. All that was left now, was to let Riley know of her new family.


	7. Chapter 7

"Riley" Jane, the social worker, said "We've found you a new foster home".

Callie, Arizona and the social worker were all sitting near Riley's bed as they revealed the good news. The girl turned her head to look at her doctors, as if to seek their approval. Her forehead creased in confusion and she moved her body nervously.

"Ummm Riley –" Arizona gave Callie a hesitant look "Dr. Torres and I are going to be your new foster family". She looked at her wife again and the two shared anxious smiles as they waited for the girl's reaction.

"What?" Riley's expression shot up in surprise. She definitely did not see this coming. "Can you even do that?"

"Well it is a bit untraditional, but Dr. Robbins and Dr. Torres had gone through great lengths to make sure they could take you in" Jane explained." And taking your health in consideration, we think this would be a good home for you".

Riley's expression was a bit blank as she let the information sink in. _This is so weird! _She thought. They were her _doctors_. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then regretted it. Her eyes were lowered as if she was too nervous to make eyes contact with the two women sitting in front of her. The women that would soon become her new family.

Callie and Arizona exchanged more nervous looks with each other. They were praying for the girl to say something. Not that they expected her to jump up and down in happiness; they knew she was shy. But a little smile would have been reassuring. Really, anything would work; they just wanted to know what she was thinking. Arizona gave Callie a "What do we do?" look. The brunette just shrugged her shoulders. She then took Arizona's hand in hers and forced a big smile on her face. Arizona thought it was a bit creepy but decided to follow her wife's reaction.

"Riley" Callie said, her left hand was still holding Arizona's and she moved her other hand and put it on Riley's arm protectively. "We know this is a little strange…" Her voice was calm and comforting. "But we think that once you'll get to know us and we'll get to know you, we could have a lot of fun together". Riley finally turned her head up and looked at Callie, who was sporting a less creepy, more heartening smile.

"You know you can trust us, right?" Arizona asked.

The girl looked at the two doctors. Every instinct she had told her not to trust them. She has been hurt too many times before. Yet there was still a small part in her thinking this might turn out differently.

Riley nodded, and for the first time a small smile formed on her face. It was tiny and it didn't last long, but it meant the world to Callie and Arizona. It meant they got through her. Callie and Arizona's hesitation eased to the sight of the little girl smiling and two giant grins were forming on their faces. They couldn't help it, that kid had some "magic powers" over them.

"We're gonna have some much fun Riley – " Callie started rambling happily, her voice shot up to a higher octave from the excitement.

"Yeah so much fun!" Arizona agreed, cutting into Callie's words. "You're gonna have your own bedroom – "

"And we have an awesome TV" Callie added.

"Yeah huge Screen –"

"Oh and we could get an Xbox!"

"Or a Wii –"

"Yeah whatever you want…" The two doctors kept adding things and cutting into each other's sentences. They were so happy that they couldn't hold their excitement.

"We uh...we can get a fish tank!" Callie suggest randomly.

"Oh oh and chickens!" Arizona shouted. Callie just gave her a look that said - "that's too much".

"Well then that sounds nice, right Riley?" Jane interrupted the excited doctors. She was trying to hold her laugher; Callie and Arizona were trying so hard, it was really sweet.

"Uhh yeah…" she agreed quietly. Still trying to process all the bombarded information.

"So you're okay with this?" Jane asked. It was important for her to know whether Riley was okay with this situation. Jane wasn't too worried though; she knew Callie and Arizona will take care of Riley.

"Yeah…I guess. Everything is better than going to the orphanage". The girl confessed with a saddened expression.

"Ok then. Riley you'll still have to stay in the hospital for a couple more days and once Dr. Robbins clears you out, you'll get to go to your new home".

* * *

Later on that day, Callie and Arizona paid Riley another visit.

"Hey Riley" Arizona said as they entered the girl's room. "You mind if Dr. Torres and I would chat with you for a bit?" The girl shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and the two doctors pulled a couple chairs and sat next to her bed.

"Riley, we just wanted to know if you're okay with everything – " Callie started explaining.

"Yeah and if you have any questions…" Arizona interrupted. The brunette gave her a scolding look for cutting into her sentence. The two turned their view to the small girl sitting in front of them. They waited patiently while the girl played with her hands nervously as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"So…uhh… you live together…?" the girl asked sheepishly. She was clearly uneasy and she didn't make any eye contact.

The two smiled in relief and held their laugher at the innocent girl's question. "Yes, we're married" Callie declared, and the two women flashed their wedding rings simultaneously.

"Oh…" the girl said when she saw their rings.

A few silent and awkward moments had passed when Arizona decided to speak. "Riley, you can start calling us by our first names, that would help make things less official right? My name is Arizona and Dr. Torres' name is Callie".

"Umm okay" she nodded in agreement. _Yep, defiantly still weird._ The girl thought to herself. _And it's only gonna get weirder_.

* * *

"Alrighty" Arizona announced cheerfully. "You're all set?" she asked Riley.

Today was the big day, they were finally taking Riley home. Arizona and Callie cleared their schedules for the rest of the week so they could help Riley get set and comfortable in their home.

"Ah yeah…" the kid whispered. She was sitting on her hospital bed, her back facing the door. She was looking outside through the window, the same window that she kept staring at for all those weeks she spent at the hospital. And now…it was time to leave. To another _new_ home. Another _new_ family. After the first 4 new families, the word _new_ ceased to excite her. Always the same story, a nice couple, everything looks great and just when she starts thinking _this is it – this is home_, she screws up and ends up back in the orphanage. Or in yet another _new_ family.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Callie asked. She walked toward the girl and sat next to her on the bed. She tried to put her arm around her but Riley was uncomfortable with that kind of affection and she shrugged Callie's arm off. Arizona stood by the door side, holding the girl's bag pack and jacket.

"Why are you doing this?" the girl asked coldly, she turned her body to look at the two women.

"What? Umm – " Arizona said in confusion.

"Why are you doing this? Because if you feel sorry for me then –"

"What no, Riley we don't…feel sorry for you". Callie said almost apologetically. She looked deeply into the girl's grey eyes.

"Then why me? Because there are a lot of kids out here..." Riley questioned.

"Well Riley" Callie's voice was gentle and warm, and she wore a comforting smile on her face "Arizona and I have been looking for a kid we could call our own for quite some time" Callie said while sneaking a quick glance towards her wife "And we were so lucky to meet you. So it's like, you're helping us as much as we're helping you".

Arizona couldn't help but smile. As a PEDs surgeon, she was obviously good with kids. But man, Callie - she wasn't just good with them. She had that softness in her voice, that motherly instinct, that reassuring look , something Arizona always feared she lacked. Arizona could tell that in that moment, Riley believed Callie. Callie made Riley feel unique, important…and safe.

Callie smile at Riley and got up from the bed. Riley returned a tiny smile, it lasted only a second but Callie couldn't help but feel a small pinch in her heart from the excitement of making the girl smile. Callie stretched her hand, and Riley let Callie help her get off the bed. Riley's left arm was still fixed in a cast and Arizona helped her put the jacket on.

The three left the hospital and headed to their home.


	8. Chapter 8

"Okayyyy" Arizona announced as she pushed the door open. "Welcome home!"

Riley peeked around the entrance door hesitantly; Callie gave her a soft shove on the shoulder, encouraging her to come in. Riley entered the apartment and immediately her eyes started scanning the new environment. She looked at Callie and Arizona and the two gave her a reassuring nod to keep on exploring.

Callie and Arizona's apartment wasn't too big, but it was still very spacious. It consisted of a living room, a kitchen and two bedrooms, each with its own shower. The first thing that popped into Riley's head as she looked around was that, the apartment looked like the ones shown in fancy magazines. It was beautifully decorated, with lots of modern and colorful furniture. Overall, there was a very warm and feminine vibe around.

The living room consisted of two sofas, one colored in bright red and the second in grayish – white. Behind the sofas there was a large window that uncovered Seattle's beautiful landscape; when looked closely, you could spot Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital which was just a few blocks away. Riley continued moving, gently stroking the back of the red sofa. She smiled a little at the sight of the big TV screen situated across from the sitting area. It was pretty impressive, as promised. There was an unopened box on the floor, beneath the TV. When Riley approached it, she read the green letters indicating this box was a new game console. She turned her head to look at Callie and Arizona and a big smile brightened her face. She never had an Xbox; she never even played with one before. There must have been over 10 games piled on top of each other next to the box, waiting to be used.

Callie couldn't help but open her mouth in excitement to the sight of the grinning girl in front of her. She shared a jovial look with Arizona, who was also sporting a goofy smile, and pulled her wife into a hug. The girl was usually so awkward and uncomfortable around them that anytime she smiled, it made them feel all cheerful inside. This however, was the biggest smile the girl had yet to share with them. Her face practically radiated with happiness and it made Callie and Arizona feel ecstatic. They remained standing aside, making sure to let Riley all the space and time she need to make herself comfortable.

Across the left side of the living room, there was a fireplace located in front of a brick wall. Riley walked over to examine it more closely; she started thinking about old Christmas movies, where children and their parents hanged stockings over the fireplace. It even had a shelf with family photos above it, just like in the movies. There was one photo from Callie and Arizona's wedding; the women were dressed in white, and they shared a loving embrace. The second picture was of Callie and some blond masculine guy; Riley thought she may have seen him over at the hospital. _Must be a doctor too_, she noted mentally. The third and final picture was of Arizona hugging a soldier. Riley grabbed the picture as to look at it closely. The man was much taller than Arizona, and he had blond hair just like hers. Riley didn't recognize his uniform, but he looked very official and he had a big bag hanged over his shoulder.

"That's my brother, Timothy" Riley jumped a little to the sound of Arizona's voice. She was so invested in the photo that she didn't notice the two women were standing behind her. "He died in Iraq a few years ago" Arizona explained with a broken voice.

"My brother died too" Riley said coldly. Her back was still facing Callie and Arizona, and she didn't dare to move and make eye contact. She looked at the photo a little longer before she put it back to place.

Arizona wanted to put her arm around Riley, but she knew the kid was still uncomfortable with affection. It meant a lot to her that Riley was willing to share that with them. They knew her brother died not too long ago, but she never talked about him. She didn't talk that much at all.

"Umm, let's check out your bedroom" Arizona suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah it's right here on the right" Callie pointed to the room across the other side of the apartment, near the kitchen."The on the left is our bedroom".

Riley followed Callie and Arizona as they showed her, her new bedroom.

There wasn't too much in Riley's room, but it was very open and there was a fairly big window that would invite plenty of sunshine in. There was a big bed situated in the center of the bedroom, with all kinds of stylish and colorful pillows on it; there were two nightstands on each side of the bed as well. Riley sat on the bed and stroked the very pink and floral cover sheets.

"Been a long time since you had a room of your own?" Callie asked, she noticed a faint smile forming on the girl's face.

"Yeah..." the girl confessed. Her eyes still lowered.

Callie and Arizona exchanged awkward looks. "Umm, uh…you like it?" Arizona asked. Callie and her had been running around all week long getting everything set for Riley's arrival. They refurnished the guest room, so it would look more like a kid's room. They also bought some new clothes for Riley, as the girl didn't own much.

"Yeah…it's comfy" she replied softly, jumping a little to test the bed's flexibility.

Callie noticed the girl wrinkled her nose to the sight of hideous pink and floral sheets her wife has chosen. "It's okay if you don't like them, we didn't know which colors you like" Callie said while shooting Arizona with a look. "I don't like them that much either". _Seriously, who could sleep in all that pink?_ She thought.

"It's okay…I like the flowers" Riley admitted, finally making eye contact with the two women. Arizona gave Callie a winning smile. Personally, she thought the bed sheets were adorable.

"We uh...we could paint the walls a different color, any color you want" the brunette suggested.

Riley looked over the walls and ceiling. "White is fine" she said simply.

"Well it's…more earth – toned…" Arizona corrected in a whisper. Callie gave her another look and rolled her eyes.

"How about we'll let you have some privacy, you can put your stuff in place" Callie said as she opened the closet. "In the meantime Arizona and I will start making dinner". The girl nodded in agreement.

"Just call us if you need anything" Arizona added. The girl turned around and started unpacking the very few things she owned.

"Oh and Riley, is there anything you would like for dinner?" Arizona asked.

The girl just shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

"Okay then…" Arizona said awkwardly and left the room.

Riley sighed deeply and sat on the bed. Everything was just so…odd. She knew the two doctors had good intentions and she really did like them. But she still couldn't help but feel so…so self conscious around them. She scanned her eyes around her new bedroom, it was actually really nice. She always dreamed of having a bedroom just like this one. _Maybe this isn't so bad after all, _she thought. _Maybe things will turn out okay this time_. Riley shook her head negatively. No, she won't get her hopes up again.

She exhaled heavily, gathered all the courage that was in her, and walked to the kitchen.

* * *

"Here you go, sweetie" Callie said as she handed Riley a plate. The three were having their first meal together.

Callie sat down next to Arizona, just across from Riley, and placed their plates on the table. "Dig in" Arizona said.

Riley looked at her dinner. It was chicken breast and Broccoli. _Ugh_...she thought in disgust. She started moving her food playfully with the fork...no way was she gonna eat that. Callie and Arizona's stares weren't helping the situation either. She didn't look at them, but she could feel their gaze fixated on her every move. It was a long day and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and be left alone. All that hovering and awkwardness was exhausting.

Callie and Arizona looked at each other anxiously. Callie tried to focus on her dinner, but was too tense to eat. She glanced at her wife, who was tapping her foot nervously. You could literally cut the tension with a knife. So much for trying to make everything warm and comfy.

"Umm…" the girl's soft voice broke the awkward silence. Callie and Arizona's gaze shot up in a sharp movement. "Can I uh...be excused…?" she asked politely.

"Umm…sure" they nodded in agreement.

"I'm just…tired…so" The girl mumbled.

"Yeah yeah…of course you are honey. You need help with anything?" Callie asked gently. Riley shook her head negatively.

"Okay, good night sweetie". The two said in unison. Riley got up and walked quickly to her room, shutting the door behind her gently.

"Told you we should have ordered pizza" Callie said, as she got up to clear Riley's untouched dinner. "Kids hate broccoli".

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Yeah well maybe it was a bit too much…" she admitted.

Finally, Riley was alone. She lay on the bed, her face looking at the ceiling and exhaled profoundly. That was the most uncomfortable dinner she had ever been through. She stripped her clothes off and put on the new pajamas Callie and Arizona got her. It was also very flowery and girly. What made them think she would like that? _At least it matches the bed sheets_, Riley joked mentally. She grabbed her one and only photo of her brother Andrew, from her bag pack and put it beneath the pillow. Riley crawled into bed and pulled the warm blanket until it covered her almost entirely. She shut her eyes, and slowly her body started to relax from all the earlier uneasiness. She wondered what Andrew would have thought about her new foster home. _He would have liked the Xbox_...She thought to herself.

The bed was so warm and inviting and Riley was so tired and drained, that she fell asleep in a few short moments.

* * *

"Should we wake her up?" Arizona whispered to her wife while handing her a cup of coffee. The two were standing in the kitchen, glancing every now and then to Riley's room to see if she had woken up yet.

"Nah…let her sleep in a little longer. She probably didn't sleep to well at night". Callie said. In fact, they hadn't slept much either. Last night's awkward dinner has brought up so many insecurities that Callie and Arizona started thinking maybe they were in over their heads. They spent all night talking to each other about their worries and fears. They also got up every hour or so to check if the girl was okay. That was unnecessary, of course; she wasn't a baby. They agreed to take it easy for the next few days. Slowly get closer to the girl, but not in a pushy way, only if she feels comfortable. Eventually, the uneasiness would disappear and things would be more comfortable. That of course, was the general plan. Executing it, was a whole different level.

"Yeah but it's almost 11 and –"

"Good morning!" Callie announced cheerfully before Arizona finished her sentence. The blond woman turned around to face the sleepy girl approaching them.

"Hey sweetie good morning!" Arizona said with a smile. Riley walked over and sat on one of the stools near the breakfast bar. She slept well, though she woke up a few times; she swore she could see Callie and Arizona peeking in behind her door during the night. It was a little creepy. She woke up over an hour ago, but it took her a while to gather her nerves and leave her room to face the two women. Finally she put on jeans and a sweatshirt, leaving that horrible floral pajamas aside, and walked outside.

"Good morning" the girl said, while rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Did you sleep well?" Callie asked. Riley nodded affirmatively.

"Good, good…" the brunette said. The three quickly fell into awkwardness again. Callie and Arizona were sipping from their coffees quietly and Riley looked around randomly.

"Breakfast!" the brunette announced suddenly.

Arizona gave her a puzzled look and then added cheerfully "Yes! Of course! Riley what would you like for breakfast?"

"I don't eat breakfast" the girl replied impassively.

"Oh but Riley, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Arizona pointed out.

_Here we go_, Callie thought to herself as Arizona started lecturing the poor girl about the benefits of starting the day with a healthy breakfast.

"A well balanced breakfast will boost your energy levels, it'll increase your concentration and elevate your mood…" The blond went on and on… Riley gave her a confused look, she wasn't really listening.

Callie put her hand on Arizona's shoulder, signaling her to stop. "That's enough Arizona...we're not in health class…" she said cynically. "So Riley, what would you like for breakfast? We've got pretty much everything…we could make pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs…"

"French toast!" Arizona added.

"Or…just regular toast…" Callie suggested.

"Really just name it…" Arizona said as she poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to Riley.

"Umm…you got cereal?" The girl asked for the one thing the two women hadn't mention. However they were prepared for everything. They practically bought the whole supermarket before Riley came. They didn't know what the kid liked, obviously judging from last night, so they just picked up a variety of things, including about 5 different brands of cereal. 4 of them were the sugary kind Callie suggested kids will like and the other one was of the healthy kind, which Arizona picked up.

"Yes! We got…Fruit Loops, Coco Pops, Lucky Charms…" Callie started mentioning, ignoring the healthy stuff Arizona liked.

"Umm Lucky Charms is fine…"

Callie pulled out a bowl and poured some milk and cereal for Riley while Arizona handed her a spoon. The girl mixed her cereal playfully. Soon enough she could feel Callie and Arizona's stares focusing on her again. She started eating a little bit, forcing the cereal down her throat. Callie and Arizona's bodies immediately eased in relief to the sight of the girl eating and they shared a victorious smile.

It was all about the little wins. First they got her to smile…then they got her to eat. Maybe next they would get her to laugh…and hug…

They couldn't wait to see how things will progress.


	9. Chapter 9

Three weeks had passed since Callie and Arizona brought Riley into their home. The first few days were filled with awkwardness and uneasy stares. Riley was very shy and closed up; she never initiated a conversation and when she was spoken to, she answered with very few words. Any affection, even the most basic one like hugging, was out of the question. Callie and Arizona tried their best to make sure Riley was adjusting nicely. At first they hovered a lot; they monitored the girl's every move, their bodies jumped every time she got up. It was very daunting for Riley and it felt like Callie and Arizona were walking on egg shells around her. On the other hand, Riley was no better. It was still weird for her to call Callie and Arizona by their private names instead of Dr. Torres or Dr. Robbins. She felt very self conscious around them, and it was hard for her to let her guards down. It wasn't that she didn't trust them; but Riley has been hurt by people she trusted before, she just needed some more time to get use to things.

As the three started easing into a routine, things began to brighten up. Callie and Arizona hadn't gone back to work in full time yet, and they enjoyed taking small steps with Riley. Their hearts basically exploded with happiness at the sight of Riley's growing appetite. She was getting stronger and healthier, her body healing nicely from her earlier injuries; her left arm was still fixated in a cast, but it should be removed soon. They were happy when Riley stopped hiding in her room all day and joined them in the living room to watch TV. She never sat next to either one of them; always on a different couch. They also loved watching her excitement when she played video games. Neither Callie nor Arizona were good at it but they were more than happy to just sit aside and watch, cheering Riley when she passed another level. They were slowly, but surely, forming into a family.

Today, however, was a very special day and it was another important milestone the three had to conquer. Today was Riley's first day at her new school. Whitman Middle School was just a few blocks away from the apartment, but Callie and Arizona insisted on escorting Riley on her first day. She walked behind the two women reluctantly and quietly, her gaze lowered to the ground; she was quit nervous about starting a new school. Firstly, Riley thought that the school uniform looked ridiculous. She had to wear a white polo shirt with the school's symbol attached on the left and a Khaki colored skirt. She had to wear a skirt! At least she got to wear the new converse shoes Callie and Arizona got her; which Riley always secretly wanted. Secondly, Riley was really nervous about meeting new people. She was never good at making first impression. In all of her other schools, she was always looked down to as the weird and awkward kid nobody wanted to be friends with. And how was she supposed to explain her…_situation_? What if people would ask if Callie and Arizona were her moms? Because they weren't… she didn't even know how long she would stay with them.

"Okay, we're here" Riley's thoughts were interrupted by Callie's voice. She looked up and noticed they were just outside of the school's entrance yard. All around them, there were parents dropping off their kids, giving them a hug and wishing them a good day. Riley nodded and continued looking around hesitantly.

"Riley, it's okay to be nervous…" Arizona said as she noticed the worried look on Riley's face.

"I'm not nervous" the girl tried to say with confidence, thought she gulped to the sight of hundreds of kids in uniform just like hers.

"Well umm…I'm sure you're going to have fun" Arizona tried to brighten the mood.

"Okay, the bell's gonna ring soon. You want us to walk you in?" Callie asked.

"No" Riley replied coldly.

"Alright, have a good day sweetie" Callie wished. She tried to hug Riley, but the kid shrugged her off awkwardly.

"Have a good day…" Arizona say softly as Riley turned around and started walking towards the school's entrance.

"We'll be here when you're done!" Callie shouted. Riley turned around and glanced at the smiling women. She started walking more quickly towards the school's gates.

* * *

"Do you see her?" Callie asked Arizona. The two were waiting near the school entrance where they dropped Riley off the same morning. The school's yard was quickly filled with hundreds of kids and they were having a hard time spotting Riley.

"Oh there she is!" Arizona shouted and waved her hand towards the girl so she could see them as well.

Riley walked towards Callie and Arizona's direction.

"She doesn't look very happy" Callie indicated in Arizona's ear.

"No…she does not" the blond agreed.

Riley's body movement was rigid and her hands were clenched into fists. She had a sad and irritated expression on her features and her eyes were lowered to the ground. _Definitely not happy_.

"Hi sweetie!" Callie and Arizona greeted the kid cheerfully.

"How was your day?" Callie asked with a smile; though she had a feeling it wasn't a good day.

"S'fine..." the girl mumbled, her eyes never leaving the ground.

"Did you learn anything interesting? –" Arizona asked.

"Can we just go!" the girl snapped and started walking forwards.

Callie and Arizona followed her in silence. They will deal with this when they get home.

* * *

"Riley –" Callie said as the girl shut the door behind her. They had just walked in and Riley immediately closed herself in her bedroom, slamming the door angrily.

"What do we do now?" Callie asked with frustration. She sighed deeply. Riley was obviously upset over something; should they approach her? Try and talk to her? This situation was a good test of their parental skills; one of many to come.

"Maybe we should let her cool off for a bit…" Arizona suggested. They knew Riley didn't like it when they hovered around her.

An hour had passed and Riley still didn't leave her bedroom. Arizona and Callie decided they gave her enough time to calm down, but a little part of them was scared to approach the girl. Up until now things have escalated fairly smoothly; there were a few minor difficulties, but those were natural and easy to overcome. This however, could turn into a full blown tantrum. It was Callie and Arizona's first real challenge as new parents.

"Okay so what…we just barge in?" Arizona asked, the two were trying to come up with a plan.

"We are not barging in… we just want to talk…"

"Fine then you open the door" Arizona shielded herself behind Callie's back.

"What are you scared? She's a little girl! She's not gonna eat you" Callie laughed at her wife's hesitation. They were the parents - they had to be confident.

"Yeah well little girls can be pretty mean when they're angry" Arizona defended her reaction.

Callie shook her head; she took a big breath and opened the door.

"Umm Riley, Arizona and I would like to speak with you" Callie said. Her voice was both gentle and confident.

Riley was lying on the bed and her face was turned to the wall. She was still wearing her uniform and it appeared that she was wiping a few tears with the back of her hand.

"I don't wanna talk to you" the girl said harshly, her voice slightly choked up.

"Sweetie it's okay, first days can be really hard" Callie's voice instantly warmed up as she heard Riley's tear filled voice.

"Yeah just…tell us what happened…it'll make you feel better" Arizona encouraged, her head peeking around Callie's shoulder. The two didn't dare to come in further into the room.

"Just leave me alone!" the girl yelled. She turned around to face the two women. Callie and Arizona's heart nearly crumbled into pieces to the sight of the crying girl. Her face was puffy and red and her grey eyes were glistening with tears. It took everything in their power to stop themselves from hugging her right there and then.

"Riley –" Arizona whispered.

"I said leave me alone! You hear me? Leave. Me. Alone!" she shouted and turned around, her back once again facing Callie and Arizona.

The two women left her room and shut the door behind them. They honestly didn't know what to do. Arizona started walking towards the kitchen and put her hands over her neck in frustration. Callie followed her and exhaled heavily.

"Well this has to be more than just about the new school "thing", right?" the brunette asked.

"You think so?"

"Yeah I mean she was really upset…"

"I don't know Callie maybe the kids just picked up on her…kids can be really mean" Arizona suggested. "Callie, what do we do?" she asked in panic.

"Let's just let her be for a little longer, and we'll try again later ".

* * *

"Come on Riley, it's time for school!" Callie yelled from the kitchen. They were already running late and the kid was a no show. After yesterday's "incident", Callie and Arizona tried talking to Riley again, but the kid refused to talk to them. She just kept lying on the bed, with her body facing the wall, just like she did at the hospital. All of the progress she went through in the last few weeks had disappeared; Callie and Arizona were once again, at the starting point.

"She hadn't come out yet?" Arizona came in panting from their bedroom while fixing her shirt. They were seriously running late.

"No, I tried calling her a few times but she won't say a word". The brunette replied while stuffing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an orange into Riley's lunch box.

Arizona walked over to Riley's bedroom; she knocked softly and opened the door. "Honey are you ready?" Arizona expected to find Riley all dressed up, but instead the girl was still lying in bed.

"Riley! We're gonna be late for school, you have to get up!" Arizona urged. Now they were definitely gonna be late.

"I'm not going" the girl muttered.

"What do you mean you're not going? Of course you're going!" Arizona said in disbelief. She had not time for this.

Callie walked over and sighed in irritation when she saw Riley was unprepared. "Riley you have to get up now" she said authoritatively. "Staying in won't solve anything. We'll talk about everything when you get home".

"I said I'm not going!" the girl snapped.

Callie and Arizona shut the door behind them as they deliberated on their next move.

"No argument she has to go to school!" Callie determined.

"Well maybe it is about something else…" Arizona pointed out. "Look, I think we should let her stay in for today".

"Absolutely not –"

"Callie, she needs to feel like she can trust us. And this is a trust "thing". We need to show her that she's safe. Forcing her to go to school will only do the opposite" Arizona explained. Callie didn't buy everything Arizona said; but she was right on one thing, forcing Riley to go to school won't help anything, it might even make things worse.

"Fine, but she can't stay here on her own" Callie pointed out.

"We'll take shifts" Arizona suggested.

"I have back to back surgeries all day long" Callie and Arizona were finally getting back to work full time and there was a lot work waiting for them.

"My schedule is clear till 12:00" Arizona said.

"Okay, I'll call Mark and ask him to come and switch with you at 12:00 and after that…we'll figure it out" Callie proposed a solution.

Arizona shook her head in disagreement. She liked Mark, he was like family; but she didn't want him to spend the day with their obviously upset kid.

"You have a better idea?" Callie asked with annoyance. Arizona had to get over the _Mark_ thing.

"I don't know Callie, you know I like Mark, but I don't trust him around Riley. Besides she hardly knows him and he might scare her off"

"We don't have a choice. He's more than capable of take care of an 11 year old; she probably won't even leave her room anyhow. I'll tell him to behave" Callie clarified.

"Fine. Just go...maybe I'll get her to agree on going to school later" Arizona said optimistically. The two shared a goodbye kiss and Callie quickly ran off to work.

* * *

Arizona was pacing around the living room. She walked towards Riley's bedroom door and turned away; she did it again a couple more time, each time thinking she would gather enough nerves to go in. It's not that she was scared…but the whole situation with Riley was so fragile. She wanted to be warm and understanding, but at the same time cool and confident. And the timing was just so…bad. It was already 11:00, she had one hour before she had to go to the hospital and Riley still hadn't come out of her room.

In retrospect, thissituation was Arizona's worst nightmare. She was a mother, well sort of, and her kid needed help; but she had no idea how to help her. It's funny but in the OR she always relies on her instincts and gut feeling, and it never fails her. But at that moment, as she stood outside of Riley's bedroom and heard her crying, Arizona felt nothing. She didn't know what to do. She told Callie she could handle this, just so her wife won't be worried; Callie had a long day ahead of her, with multiple back to back surgeries. How was Arizona supposed to talk to Riley, when she wasn't even that good at expressing her own feelings? Arizona was the exact opposite of Callie in that way. Her wife was the kind of person that wore her heart on her sleeve and was never afraid to speak her mind. Arizona, however, was the queen of "keeping it in". Maybe it was because she grew up in an army camp and they had to move a lot. Another _new_ home; another _new_ school. She never learned to commit.

Callie was the only person she could talk to; really talk to. Not that she didn't have a good relationship with her parents. Especially after Timothy passed away, she was the only one her parents had. But as a kid, things were different. Her father was shipped overseas a lot, the army always came first; and her mom always kept herself busy with charity work so she won't spend her entire day worrying over her husband. They were busy so Arizona learned to "suck it up" and handle things on her own. It may not be the healthiest way to deal with situations, but it made her the independent and self – confident woman that she is today. That, needless to say, is when she's not facing a very upset child. Because then she turns into a frightened chicken.

Arizona sat on the edge of the couch and exhaled deeply. _Callie would have known what to do_, she thought. Callie was amazing. Any kid would love to have her as a mom. She was warm, patient, inviting… She was perfect. Everything came so natural for her, as if Riley has been with them forever.

Arizona got up from the couch. _This is ridiculous_, she thought. Callie and her were in this together, and so was Riley. So if Callie could handle this – so could she. Callie was no super mom. They were both new at this and they both would learn from this.

Arizona opened the door softly and entered Riley's room. The kid didn't even flinch, she remained motionless and her face was still turned to the wall. _How can she stay in that same position for so long?_, Arizona thought to herself. She shook her head as if to organize her thoughts. _Cool and confident, _she reminded herself.

The blond woman sat on the kid's bed. "Riley, how about you get up, wash your face and we'll have a little chat?" She suggested, trying to imitate Callie's gentle voice.

Nothing, the kid was silent. Arizona knew Riley wasn't asleep and that she could hear her. "Come on, I'll make us a late breakfast" she started to get a little impatient; Riley hasn't eaten since yesterday. Was the kid trying to starve herself?

Arizona sighed. She reminded herself that Riley was sad and angry. She needed to show a little more patience and understanding. Demanding things won't get her anywhere.

"Sweetie, you can't just lay in bed all day. Whatever it is that's bugging you, you can tell me. Doctor – patient confidentiality remember?" Arizona attempted to make a joke and break the ice. The "confidentially thing" worked on the kid once – back when she was at the hospital, but she didn't buy it today.

Riley rolled her eyes. Why couldn't she just be left alone_?_ She didn't want to talk; she didn't want to do anything. Maybe if she didn't say anything, Arizona would give up and go.

Arizona was getting uncomfortable with the silence; it was like she was talking to herself. But if Riley was being stubborn, so could she. She could do this all day. Or actually no, cause she had to go to work in less than an hour. But still…Arizona could be persistent too.

"You know, I moved around a lot when I was your age" Arizona said, thinking that if she shared her story it might make Riley feel better. "I lived in an army base and we had to move every 18 months". Arizona waited for Riley to say something, yet still no comment. "It sucked". Arizona laughed awkwardly. Maybe the two of them had more in common than they thought.

"Riley, I know things have been really hard lately. Not just with the new school, but with...everything. And I know you've been through a lot" Arizona was having a hard time putting her thoughts into words. She wished Riley would turn around so they could talk face to face. "But Callie and I really like having you around" Arizona admitted, a smile formed on her face.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… sometimes things suck". _Well, that didn't sound too good_, Arizona thought to herself. What a way to cheer up the girl. "But, then it gets better" she said more optimistically. "I hate to use clichés but it really does" Arizona was rambling off for a bit. _Better start getting to the point_, she noted mentally. "And hopefully, you won't have to move into another school again".

Arizona put her arm on Riley's shoulder but the kid waved her off. Arizona exhaled heavily. She tried, and she tried her best. She hoped at least some of what she said got through Riley. She may not be the best at these "situations" but she meant every word that came out of her mouth. There wasn't any point at forcing Riley to go to school because she didn't act out of immaturity; she acted out of fear.

"Riley, I have to go to work now". Arizona said after a few silent moments.

_Good_, Riley thought to herself. Maybe now, she would be left alone.

"Our friend Mark, you remember him? He's gonna come over and keep an eye on you. Okay?" Arizona asked, though she knew Riley won't be answering her. "He's really nice…maybe the two of you could play some video game, huh?" she suggested, attempting to lighten up the mood.

"I won't be gone for too long, I only have one surgery today…and umm Callie is doing her best so she could come home early too" Arizona explained, probably sharing too many unimportant details. "So how about you just relax…try to have fun today…and just umm…we'll talk about things when you ready, okay?"

She walked out of the kid's room and started to get ready for work.

* * *

"So, there's lunch in the fridge, but if she insists on eating something else – I don't care….just try and get her to eat…oh and her favorite –"

"Just go Robbins, I got this!" Mark said. Arizona was rambling on, giving him all sorts of instructions just like Callie did a moment ago. Geez, those two needed to relax. She's an 11 year old girl, how hard could this be?

"Crap, I'm late. Just don't be all "Sloany" with her, okay?" Arizona asked. She didn't like this arrangement but she had no choice and Mark was giving them a favor.

"What do you mean "Sloany"? Mark creased his eyebrows in confusion while hinting a little insult in Arizona's words.

"You know, the inappropriate comments, the jokes and everything…" Arizona could go on and on, but fortunately was able to stop herself before they would get into another one of their fights. Thank God Callie wasn't there; she always felt Arizona was being mean to Mark. "She's really shy and I don't want you to scare her". Arizona explained.

"Arizona, I'm great with kids. Everything is going to be fine! Now go already!" Mark encouraged. The blond was getting on his nerves and he started to think maybe this was a bad idea. But when Callie practically begged for his help that morning, Mark couldn't say no to his best friend. He knew Callie and Arizona were having some difficulties easing in to this whole "parenting thing", so he was trying to be supportive. Besides, kids _loved_ him.

"Don't talk to her about school or anything personal – "

"Okay " Mark answered reluctantly and started pushing Arizona towards the door. If she wasn't going to shut up and leave, he would make her do so…physically.

"Oh and see if she would like to play video games, she likes that and – "

"Robbins!" Mark shouted.

"Fine I'm going! Call me if something happens – "

"I will" the man promised. Though he was sure both Callie and Arizona will call him frequently.

"And…thanks. Callie and I owe you one!" Arizona gave Mark an apologetic hug, took her bag and headed to work.

* * *

Riley lay on her side and held a pillow to her chest. Her eyes were shut but she wasn't asleep…like she could fall asleep feeling like that. She felt…overwhelmed. And numb. And it was exhausting. She just needed to be alone.

"Hey Riley, I'm Mark your moms – umm uh… I mean Callie and Arizona's friend" the man introduced himself as he stood at the entrance to Riley's bedroom. Riley's eye popped open to the sound of the man's deep voice; though he couldn't see her face as she was facing the wall. _Great_, she thought, _now they brought in a babysitter_.

"So umm…I heard you like video games…" Mark said, attempting to start a conversation. "I like video games too…" Mark tapped his fingers on the door frame hesitantly; the kid completely ignored his presence. "I saw you got some cool games over there…wanna come play?"

"No" Riley's voice was barely audible.

"Okay umm…how 'bout some lunch them?" Mark suggested. Callie and Arizona would kill him if he won't get her to eat.

"I'm not hungry…" She said frigidly_. Just go away already_, Riley thought. He was seriously getting on her nerves.

"Oh come on, I'm sure some ice cream will make you feel better. It's okay I won't tell Callie and Arizona as long as you won't" Mark joked, though Riley didn't respond.

"So umm…I'll be at the living room if you need anything…" Mark said after a long silent pause. He left the bedroom door half open as he walked outside. _Damn, that's a weird kid_, he thought to himself.

Riley sighed deeply. She was so conflicted over everything. On one hand, the past few weeks were filled with awkwardness and uncomfortable interaction; on the other hand, she found herself slowly growing attached to Callie and Arizona. It's been a while since someone cared about her the way they did. And Riley had to admit – she liked the attention. Callie and Arizona were so warm; they always smiled at her and they were always so gentle when they spoke, calling her "sweetie" or "honey" and such. They were always interested in the things _she_ liked and they always asked her what _she_ would like to eat for breakfast, or what _she_ would like to watch on TV…

As a little kid, Riley used to dream about the ideal family that would one day adopt Andrew and her. She imagined the dad as some sort of an important business man that wears a tie and a suit. The mom would be a "stay at home mom", the kind that cooks really well, drops them off to school every morning. She would help them with their homework and make them feel better if they'll get sick. They will live in a house with a big backyard where they would play soccer and they would have a dog. It was the perfect dream. But it was also a very different dream then the reality Riley was living in today.

Callie and Arizona weren't the…traditional family. They were two women, but that didn't really matter to Riley; because never in her life, had Riley seen two people so incredibly in love with one another. She hadn't been living with Callie and Arizona for that long, but just by seeing the way the two looked at each other, Riley could tell that was true love. Callie and Arizona didn't live in a big house, instead they lived in a loft. As cool and modern as it was, it wasn't exactly the big house with the yard and a dog Riley dreamt of. Callie and Arizona weren't stay at home moms, they were doctors; important doctors. Riley knew Callie and Arizona were good at their jobs, she heard a lot about them when she was at the hospital. Hell, they saved her life. Honestly, she thought that them being doctors is pretty cool; it made her feel proud to think her "foster moms" or whatever they were to her, were highly esteemed doctors. Made her feel kinda like she was important too. But she also knew that being a doctor is a really tough and demanding job and that meant Callie and Arizona worked a lot. Like now, they had to leave for work and they brought in the "male babysitter" instead. Overall, Callie and Arizona weren't the family Riley always dreamt of, but they made her feel more at home than in any other place she had been to. Sure, there were still some "issues" to deal with; but Riley couldn't help but think this might be the real deal. She wanted this to be her home. She wanted Callie and Arizona to be her moms. But there was a little warning light in the back of her head telling her to be careful. She has been hurt before, and she might be again.

Who was she trying to fool? What reason do Callie and Arizona have for adopting her? Heck, she still tired to figure out why they fostered her to begin with. They were the cool and important surgeons; they didn't want some scrappy looking kid from the streets. The fancy apartment, expensive furniture, elegant clothes…that wasn't her. She didn't belong here. And it was just a matter of time before Callie and Arizona realize what a loser she was and get rid of her; breaking just another one of her dreams of having a real family. Only this time it would hurt times a hundred. Times a thousand. Because she really wanted Callie and Arizona to be her family... so, so badly. But it was too good to be true.

They weren't meant to be her family. Andrew was her family…but he died. She was all alone.

* * *

Callie sighed as she pulled off her jacket and threw herself on the coach. She had a long and tiresome day and all she wanted was to take a shower and go to bed. But even after such a long day, the worst has yet to come. Callie and Arizona just got home and Mark filled them in before he left. There wasn't much to tell, Riley refused to talk to him and she didn't come out of her room. He put food on her nightstand but she didn't touch it, at least she drank a little of the water he brought for her.

Arizona sat next to Callie on the coach. Callie put her head on Arizona's shoulder and the two exhaled heavily in unison. "I really thought Mark had a chance" Arizona admitted.

"Well, if the Sloan charm didn't get to her I don't know what will" Callie chuckled faintly.

Arizona laughed a little. "Yeah…she can be pretty stubborn"

The two sat in silence for a while, each focused on her own thoughts. "We should probably go check on her" Arizona said, breaking the silence. The blond woman started to get up and Callie groaned when she pulled off the embrace.

"Yeah you're right…" the brunette admitted, following her wife to Riley's bedroom.

The two stood outside of the girl's bedroom and contemplated on their move just as they did the same morning.

"We need to be assertive" Callie said with confidence. "This is getting out of hand, she needs to get up and that's it. No argument"

"So what we're gonna yell at her?" Arizona asked. "Forcing her won't make things right" the blond defended.

"We tried being "good cop" but it didn't work! Instead she was in bed all day and missed school!"

"Yeah but this is a delicate situation…we can't push her…" Arizona said in a slightly whiny voice.

Callie looked at her wife and thought about what she said. _Maybe she has a point,_ Callie thought. Forcing will lead them nowhere. _You can't fight fire with fire._

"No, you're right" Callie admitted.

"Okay. What do we do then?" Arizona asked, she was happy Callie agreed with her.

Callie took another moment to think. They couldn't talk rationally to Riley because she wasn't thinking rationally. She was a kid. They've been spending the whole day trying to make her listen and rationalize her behavior, clearly it didn't work. It wasn't the answer. She was a kid. Callie's gaze shot up and a huge grin formed on her face. She grabbed Arizona's hand and pulled her to the living room.

"What?" the blond asked with confusion.

"I have an idea…" Callie said. She walked to the stereo and started looking for a certain CD.

"Okay…what is it?" Arizona asked suspiciously.

"We're gonna dance it out!" Callie announced cheerfully.

"What…Callie – "

Callie put in the CD and cranked up the volume. The whole building could hear them. Callie began dancing uncontrollably and pulled Arizona towards her.

"Calliope this is not the time – "

"Shut up! Dance it out!" Callie shouted through the music. A smile formed on Arizona's face. She had no idea what Callie was doing but she gave up and started dancing with her wife. Honestly, after the day they had, dancing it out sounded pretty good.

Riley's bed was moving from the vibrations of the loud music coming out of the living room. _What the hell?_ She thought. The music was booming through the walls, she had to check what was going on. Riley pulled herself out of the bed and walked to her door. Gently, she opened a small crack and peeked to see what was happening. _They must be crazy_, she thought to herself as she saw the two women dancing wildly.

Riley opened more of the door so she would have better visibility. It was the strangest thing she had ever seen. Two grown women, dancing like some drunk girls at a college party; completely oblivious to the fact that she was watching them. It was…it was a little funny actually. A smile formed on Riley's face to the sight of the dancing women. Riley pulled the door completely open and stood outside, mesmerized by the silliness of the situation.

Callie and Arizona's movement stopped when they heard the most adorable, rolling laugher coming from behind them. They looked to their left and saw Riley holding her stomach and laughing loudly. It was the first time they heard the girl laugh like that. Arizona's face turned to look at Callie. "So this was the plan" she whispered. The brunette nodded, a silly grin was bending on her face.

They would have good days and they would have bad days; and they would get through them together. It was clear to Callie and Arizona at that moment, they would never get tired of hearing Riley's laugher. No matter what difficulties they had to overcome, that girl has completely altered their lives. She walked right into their hearts, and they weren't going to let go.


	10. Chapter 10

*** There was something I wanted to clarify about the last chapter I posted. **

**I based chapter 9 on a personal experience. When I was 13, I moved to a different country. I found myself in a completely new environment and not only did I have to start a new school but I also had to learn a new language…so that wasn't really fun. Of course in time, things naturally started to get better and nowadays I can honestly say that was the best thing that ever happened to me. But in the beginning, I definitely felt overwhelmed and scared. So really, the whole "Riley not wanting to go to school thing" was based on my reaction after my first day at a new school. Though my parents weren't as cool as Callie and Arizona and I was forced to go…hahaha**

**Which brings me be back to the story. I had two goals in mind when I wrote that chapter. The first was to face Callie and Arizona with a challenge, and not only show how they overcome it but also how they take another step forwards in their relationship with Riley. This whole story is about their journey in becoming parents and starting a family. But they can't be this happy family right off the bat, they're going through a process and it can be hard sometimes.**

**My second goal was to express Riley's thoughts. Considering everything she's been through I would imagine she was being scared and overwhelmed too and that was the reason behind her reaction. She went through a lot in very little time and so in my mind, she just needed a break to sort of reflect on everything that happened to her.**

**Alright, well sorry about the long explanation I just felt like it needed to be said. I had this story in mind for a long time and sometimes I forget that things which make sense to me may not be as clear to the readers. Anyway, this new chapter is a bit lighter.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, I'm having so much fun writing this story and I hope you keep on reading!**

* * *

"Umm…what's you favorite animal?" Riley asked while shoving another spoonful of cereal to her mouth. She was playing "20 questions" with Callie and Arizona. A playful habit the three had taken so they would get to know each other better; they had played it every morning over breakfast. Initially, Riley thought it was a bit stupid but she didn't want to insult Callie and Arizona, so she agreed to play along. The game had turn out to be really fun and it was a wonderful way to start their morning. In addition, Callie and Arizona learnt a lot about Riley through that game and it strengthen their relationship with the girl more so every day. Surprisingly, Callie and Arizona learnt a lot about each other through that game as well.

"Hmm…that's a good one! I guess mine will be dogs. And I already know what Arizona's favorite animal is…" the brunette said while pouring coffee into her mug.

"Oh yeah, what is it?" Arizona teased her wife.

"Chickens!" Callie said and the three rolled in laughter.

"Really? Your favorite is chickens?" Riley asked.

Arizona laughed at the kid's surprised expression. "Yeah, I have a weird thing for chickens…" she admitted.

"Dork" Callie said and kissed her wife's forehead. "What's your favorite animal?" she asked Riley.

"I like dogs too". Riley took another bite from her cereal as she thought of a follow up question.

That was their morning routine everyday now. Callie and Arizona couldn't feel more blessed; Riley had such a significant presence in their lives now that they couldn't recall of how things were before. Riley has been living with them for almost two months, and things have gradually gotten better.

In the first few weeks Riley was still hesitant and resistant. Callie and Arizona tried to help her feel more comfortable and open up by suggesting all kinds of fun activities they could do together. They took her to the movies, they visited art galleries and museums, they went to the park and the arcade. Callie and Arizona even took a whole day off from work and the three went to explore Seattle's tourist sites. The two surgeons have been living in Seattle for years and they had never been to the Space Needle, an experience they were happy to share with Riley.

Evidently, the kid was slowly letting her guards down. Callie and Arizona introduced a whole new world to her. A world full of knowledge and new experiences Riley had never encountered. Little by little, Riley became more comfortable around Callie and Arizona. She was more talkative, and she smiled a lot more often than before. Sometimes she even let Callie and Arizona give her hug her before she went to school, though it still made her a bit uncomfortable. She was no longer hesitant approaching them if she needed something or if she needed help with her homework; which the both of them gladly agreed to assist her with. Riley's laughter became a familiar sound in Callie and Arizona's apartment, and the two always got overwhelmed with happiness when they heard it.

Riley still didn't like talking about her past, which was something both Arizona and Callie tried talking to her about. They agreed not to push her. They hoped Riley would approach them when she'll feel ready.

"Umm" Riley pondered while chewing her cereal; she wanted to ask Callie and Arizona something good. "How did you meet?"

Callie chuckled and looked at her wife. The two shared a flustered look and blushed as they recalled on their first kiss.

"We met at the hospital" Arizona said, slightly bending the truth.

Callie snorted and gave her wife a disapproving look. "Arizona kissed me in a bar".

Riley started laughing loudly.

"Callie –" Arizona whined. The kid didn't need to know _everything_.

"Actually she kissed me in the bar's bathroom" Callie corrected herself.

"WHATTT?" Riley shouted with surprise, almost choking on her cereal. Callie and Riley began laughing again while Arizona covered her face from the embarrassment.

"Alright that's enough. It's time to go to school" Arizona urged the girl.

Riley got up and went to get her school bag from her bedroom.

"Have a good day kiddo" Callie said. Today, only Arizona was taking Riley to school because Callie was needed early over at the hospital. Riley told them that she was capable of walking to school on her own since it was only a short distance away. But Callie and Arizona insisted on escorting her every day.

"Oh and don't forget to come over to the hospital after school" Callie reminded Riley.

"Yeah...finally getting that cast removed, huh?" Arizona said cheerfully and Riley's face brightened up with a big smile..

Arizona kissed Callie on the cheek before leaving for school with Riley.

Callie leaned on the kitchen counter and sighed. She was feeling a little sad that she couldn't walk Riley to School with Arizona; it was her favorite part of their mornings.

The brunette put on her leather jacket, grabbed her bag and headed to work.

* * *

"Alright, there we go" the brunette said as she removed the cast from Riley's arm. "That's a lot better isn't?"

"Yeah..." Riley agreed. Finally she had that uncomfortable cast taken off; and after wearing it for 10 weeks! Riley stretched and turned her previously broken arm from side to side, it felt a little weird without the weight of the plaster.

"Does it feel okay?" Callie took the girl's arm and examined it.

"Yeah it feels fine".

"Okay well, Arizona is in surgery… wanna go get some ice cream from the cafeteria in the meantime?" Callie asked.

"Umm…how about we'll go watch the surgery from the gallery!" Riley suggested cheerfully. She wasn't really allowed to do that but Callie and Arizona snuck her into the gallery a couple times so she could watch them operate. Riley thought it was the coolest thing in the world; she loved watching Arizona and Callie in the OR. In fact, she loved coming to the hospital after school. Back when she was hospitalized, the only thing Riley wanted was to get out of there; but now things were different. The hospital was like a giant playground. There were always cool medical supplies to play with, awesome surgeries to watch…

Much like to Callie and Arizona, the hospital became Riley's second home. She knew all the departments, where everything was…she knew all the doctors working there…

Callie chuckled; it was funny to watch Riley's interest in surgery, it reminded Callie of herself when she was a kid. "Arizona's doing an appendectomy, that's like the most boring surgery ever…trust me you don't wanna watch that…"

"That's when you take out the appendix right?" Riley asked enthusiastically. Clearly, she didn't think that was boring.

"Yeah…very good! Did you watch surgical shows on the discovery channel again?" Callie nudged the kid's shoulder as they headed towards the cafeteria. Riley spent hours watching those shows; she was hooked. Callie and Arizona thought it was adorable.

"No…" Riley said sheepishly while turning her gaze away. Callie laughed again to the kid's expression.

"Well Arizona should be done in a few moments, so there won't be anything to watch. I'm rebuilding a person's neck tomorrow, now that's a surgery you want to watch!" Callie said proudly.

"Can I?" Riley asked, almost begged actually.

"Well no, because you have to go to school…" Callie pointed out before Riley would get her hopes up. "Buuut…if you won't tell anybody - I'll show you the before and after X rays" she added. Callie had to give Riley something; the kid had such a disappointed look on her face, Callie couldn't resist it!

"OKAY!" Riley squealed with happiness, her face brightening up again.

* * *

Callie and Riley were eating ice cream at the cafeteria while waiting for Arizona to be done, when Cristina Yang approached them.

"Hey" Callie said when the resident sat next to her. Cristina had a grumpy expression on. "Sure you can have some" Callie said in annoyance when the resident took a spoonful of her ice cream.

"Thanks…" Cristina said in nonchalant. She needed something sugary to brighten her mood.

"Bad day?" Callie asked.

"No…I'm just bored…" the resident whined.

Callie laughed at the ambitious resident's reaction; the residents were so competitive, made Callie feel thankful that she was done with her residency. "Here you can have the rest of my ice cream".

"Thanks" Cristina said and pulled the whole cup to herself. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Well, Riley came over here to get her cast removed" Callie said smugly and signaled Cristina to say something complimentary. Riley gave Cristina a shy look, she didn't really know her that well and frankly from what Riley had seen - that doctor scared her.

"Oh wow" Cristina faked her interest. "That's…that's really great…"

"Crap!" Callie said when her pager went off. "They need an Ortho consult in the ER…umm Riley you mind staying here with Cristina for a bit? I promise it won't be long"

"Wait what –" Cristina started objecting but stopped herself when Callie gave her a discouraging look. "Fine..." she muttered.

Callie looked at Riley and the kid nodded in agreement. "Yeah I'll be fine"

"Okay just don't go anywhere!" Callie said while getting up from her seat. "Be nice!" She leaned over to Cristina and hissed.

Cristina and Riley set in silence. The resident looked at the girl; she was playing with her ice cream awkwardly and she looked a little bored. "Sooo…Riley…how's everything?" Cristina tried to break the ice.

Riley shrugged her shoulders in indifference. "s'fine"

"Oh yeah? How's living with Callie and Arizona?"

"s'good" the girl replied simply.

Cristina sighed, the kid wasn't very cooperative and she was trying to come up with conversation topics. _Ugh, this is why I hate kids_, Cristina thought to herself. She was a surgeon, not a babysitter. What was Callie thinking leaving her kid with her?

"What kind of a surgeon are you?" Cristina turned her head sharply to the sound of the girl's soft voice breaking the silence.

"Cardiothoracic. That means –"

"That you're a heart surgeon" Riley noted before Cristina could finish her sentence.

"Yeah…" Cristina was a little impressed; little girls aren't usually as familiar with the different kinds of medical specialties.

"Cool. I saw a bypass surgery on TV last night" Riley said. It looked like the two had found a mutual interest to talk about.

"You like watching surgical shows?" Cristina asked, hinting on the girl's obvious interest. Even the infamous Cristina Yang had to admit, that girl was kinda cute.

"Umm humm…" the girl sounded in agreement.

"Well, it's a whole lot better in real life than on TV…" Cristina admitted with frustration. She went back on thinking about her useless day.

Riley nodded and turned her head to look around; the two fell into silence again. She found Cristina to be a little bit intimidating.

"So you want to be a surgeon, huh?" Cristina asked.

"I don't know…" Riley lowered her view shamefully. "I don't think I can be a surgeon …"

"Why you saying that?" Cristina asked without paying too much attention. She was too invested in her ice cream.

Riley's eyes were lowered and she was playing with her hands nervously. "I'm not smart enough" she finally admitted.

"Sure you are!" Cristina tried to sound encouraging; she turned her head and looked at Riley. "You just have to work really really hard".

"Yeah…" the girl nodded.

"Seriously, you need to believe in yourself. You need to be brilliant! Don't let anybody tell you what you can or cannot do" Cristina wasn't any good at motivational talks, especially when talking to kids. But she was still hoping Riley understood what she meant.

"Okay…" Riley said in defeat. Though it didn't look like she was buying Cristina's words.

"I mean it, you can be whatever you want. A rock star, a surgeon, a bartender…anything you put your mind into…" the young woman said with inspiration.

Riley looked at Cristina and gave her a smile. That little chat made Cristina look a little less scary; Riley was starting to like her.

After a few more minutes, Callie returned from her consult.

"Did I miss anything?" the brunette said as she returned to her seat between Riley and Cristina.

"Seems like your kid here is interested in surgery…" Cristina pointed out mischievously. She winked at Riley and the kid returned a soft laugh.

"Oh yeah! She's gonna be a kickass Ortho surgeon one day! Am I right?" Callie teased and nudged Riley's shoulder playfully.

"I don't know Torres looks like she's into cardio…" Cristina countered.

"Whaatttt?" the brunette asked in disbelief. "ugh…Cardio sucks…." She said in disgust. Cristina gave her a scolding look.

"I like Cardio…but I like bones too" Riley said as if to settle the argument and make everybody happy.

"Don't worry kiddo, you'll have plenty of time to decide" Callie said affectionately and stroked Riley's hair. "But Ortho is the best!" she whispered in her ear, making Riley roll with laughter.

After a little while, Arizona came into the Cafeteria following her surgery. The four started chatting, talking about their day and sharing experiences.

"Hey Cristina?" Riley asked, just before she was about to leave with Callie and Arizona.

"Yeah?" the resident lifted her head.

"You really think I can become a bartender?" the girl asked naively. Callie and Arizona shared a confused look. What the hell was she talking about?

Cristina laughed. "Yeah, sure".

Riley smiled, got up from her sit and started heading out.

"I'm never leaving her alone with you again" Callie said and gave the resident a disapproving look.


	11. Chapter 11

"Riley would you come over here for a moment" Arizona called from the living room. The girl quickly stepped from her bedroom and sat on the sofa next to the two women.

"Umm ugh…" Callie and Arizona were looking at each with hesitation. There was something they wanted to bring up…

"Am I in trouble?" Riley asked timidly.

"No no, of course not honey" Callie said immediately to reassure the girl. "It's just that, there is something we would like to suggest…"

"Riley, Callie and I were thinking that it would be good for you to try and participate in an after school activity" Arizona explained.

"An after school activity?" Riley repeated with a doubtful tone.

"Yeah!" Arizona said cheerfully. She then handed Riley a brochure the school had sent them with a list of all the activities.

"I don't know…" the girl said reluctantly.

"Sweetie, you go from the apartment to school every day… you need to get out more –" Callie justified.

"That's not true I also hang around the hospital" Riley pointed out.

Callie and Arizona laughed at the girl's comment. Things have been going on really well for the past few months. Riley was finally the happy kid she never got to be and the three were starting to look like a real family. Though the fact that Riley spent a lot of time by herself worried Callie and Arizona. She was still very shy and she wasn't really trying to make friends over at school.

On the contrary, Riley was definitely _not _shy whenever she came over to the hospital; which became a habit as she came to the hospital almost every day after school. Some of Callie and Arizona's closest friends worked there, and they loved it when Riley paid them a visit. However things were getting a little out of hand, Callie and Arizona noticed Riley was spending too much time over at the hospital; at least too much time for an 11 year old girl that probably should be playing with Barbie dolls and such.

At 11 years of age, Riley had already watched a breast augmentation surgery, performed by Mark Sloan of course; needless to say both Callie and Arizona didn't approve of Mark showing Riley that surgery – the kid loved it though. She already knew how to make complex sutures, better than most interns actually, which were taught to her by Cristina. She even watched Alex build an artificial trachea in the hospital's lab.

"What we mean is, that you need to start _hanging around_ "Callie put an emphasis on the term "with kids your own age, you know socialize…" As much as Callie loved seeing her friends interact with Riley, the kid's only friends were in their 30's and 40's and that's just inappropriate.

Riley gave her a look. _Socialize?_ she asked herself. Callie said it as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Come on it will be fun! Look there are so many options –" Callie flipped the brochure.

"Yeah jazz band, drama club –" Arizona listed enthusiastically as to encourage Riley's interest. It definitely looked like she was more excited about this than Riley.

"Or choir –" Callie added.

"Yeah or chess club " Arizona said. Callie gave her a disapproving look. What kid would join the chess club?

"Point is Riley –" Callie stopped her wife before she would make Riley reject their suggestion completely "you can choose whatever activity you want."

Riley sighed and looked down. She didn't have any friends and a part of her really wished she did. But talking to other kids wasn't something that came on easily for her.

"Monkey" That was Arizona's nickname for Riley. "If you feel like you're not ready, then Callie and I won't push into doing something you're uncomfortable with. But could you at least think about it?"

Riley turned her head up to the sound of Arizona's comforting words. There was actually an activity she wanted to try, but she thought it was a little different than what Callie and Arizona had in mind. However, it was something Riley always wanted to be a part of.

"Umm actually, I've been thinking about joining the soccer team" Riley said.

"Oh…" Arizona uttered. Honestly she was a little surprised; they didn't even know Riley liked sports.

"Soccer?" Callie asked. "Well that's…that's great! Right Arizona?" the brunette signaled her wife to say something encouraging.

"Right yeah…sports are really good for you… "

"I was in the basketball team when I was in middle school…" Callie added.

"The tryouts for the team are this weekend" Riley said.

"Okay! So it's all set!" Callie announced with a smile.

* * *

A few weeks later, Callie and Arizona met with Jane, the social worker assigned to their case. The two have been Riley's foster family for about 5 months now and they had regular meetings with Jane over Riley's progress; it was part of the evaluation process that would determine whether they would be able to adopt Riley later on.

"Okay, I can see that there has been an improvement with Riley's school work… "Jane indicated from Riley's school transcripts. Riley was a bit behind the curriculum due to the fact that she had been pulled out of many schools and so she didn't get proper education.

"Oh yeah, she's been working really hard" Arizona commented with obvious satisfaction. The kid has been studying diligently and she was quickly catching up with the rest of the class.

Callie let out a chuckle. "We were a little rusty at the beginning…it was weird going back to 6th grade math and geography" the brunette shared a glance with her wife. The two were world class surgeons but they couldn't even solve a simple math problem designed for a kid. Fortunately, Riley didn't seem to have a problem with math or any of the other school subjects for that matter.

Riley possessed a natural hunger for knowledge and learning. And nowadays she was going to school willingly, as opposed to the kid who refused to get out of bed just a few months ago.

"Yeah but we were able to help her out with science" Arizona added.

"Her science project was the best in the entire class!" Callie said proudly.

"That's fantastic!" Jane encouraged. "And don't worry, you'll get the hang of things. But for now it's good to see Riley find an interest in her school work"

"And she's been watching all those documentaries and she's been readying a lot too" the blond woman said.

"She says she wants to be a surgeon…" Callie explained and the two doctors shared another exchange. They could go on and on about Riley. They were so proud of her progress.

"I'm happy to hear that" Jane said. She looked at the two women sitting in front of her and couldn't help but smile. In a little over 5 months the girl had made such an immense transformation; she went from being so shy and closed up to a happy, curious and energetic kid.

"Oh and this weekend is Riley's first soccer match" Callie announced.

"Yeah she got in the school's soccer team and it's their first match of the season". Arizona said.

"We're working on getting her more comfortable around kids her own age, you know…encouraging her to make friends, she's still a little shy" Callie explained.

"Good, that's very important" the social worker closed her briefcase and was about to get up . "Well I think I've got all the information I need. I think you guys are doing a great job and…I think you're ready to start with the adoption process"

"You mean - ?" Arizona asked with surprise.

"We passed the evaluation?" Callie completed her wife's sentence.

"Yeah! Riley's healthy, she has made an incredible progress and if you guys are still interested –"

"We are!" Arizona practically shouted.

"We definitely are!" Callie followed her wife's comment.

"Good then I will make a recommendation and I'll contact you in the next few weeks "the social worker got up and shook their hands."Oh and tell Riley I wished her good luck on her first game" Jane said before leaving the room.

* * *

"Do you see them?" Lexie asked.

"No, there are so many people out here…" Mark replied as his eyes looked for a familiar face through the crowd.

"Yeah well, haven't you even been to a school's soccer game?"

"No" Mark said dryly. It wasn't exactly his ideal way to spend the weekend, but of course he was willing to suck it up and support his best friend's kid.

"Hey Mark!" Callie shouted and waved her hand so the two would see her. The couple started heading to her direction.

"Hey" Mark said while giving his best friend a hug. The four sat on the bleachers surrounding the school's soccer field. Callie and Arizona got there early to save front row seats. No way were they gonna miss this.

"Alright when is this game starting! Am I right Robbins?" Mark faked his enthusiasm. Arizona gave him a smile; Mark could be an ass but at least he was trying. Quite frankly spending her Saturday morning around screaming children wasn't Arizona's favorite thing either; but they were here to support Riley.

"Where are Cristina and Owen?" Arizona asked. For some reason, that neither Arizona nor Callie could understand, Riley was infatuated with Cristina. Riley adored her. She thought that Cristina was the coolest person in the world. Must be something about the resident's drive or witty personality that made Riley aspire to be her one day. Arizona and Callie thought it was really cute, especially because they knew how much Cristina hated kids. But as a matter of fact, it looked like the resident was enjoying spending time with Riley as well. Cristina "babysat" Riley a few time, she brought her DVD's about surgeries, snuck her into the hospital's gallery….she was like Riley's "cool aunt". Overall, Callie and Arizona loved seeing Riley open up to someone else and they were grateful for their friend's support.

"Oh here they are" said Lexie.

"Sorry we're late" Owen said apologetically and the two sat next to Lexie on the far left.

"Don't worry the game hasn't started yet…is everything okay?" Arizona asked, she noticed Owen had a weird look on his face.

"Yeah it's just…Cristina's a little….hungover…" the man admitted.

"You two were partying pretty hard last night, huh Yang?" Mark teased the very grumpy and tired looking woman.

"Shut up…" she said and rested her head on Owen's shoulder.

"We'll I'm sure the noise from all the screaming kids will help…" Mark said, pushing it just a little further. Cristina rubbed her hands over her temples and groaned in pain, making the man roll with laughter.

"Oh shhhh the game is starting!" Callie said. She and Arizona were jumping up and down from excitement.

The game started off to the sound the ref's whistle. The place was full with parents and family members, cheering up their kids. It was a little funny how seriously some parents behaved, as if it was the world cup or something. Comparing to the people surrounding them, Callie and Arizona definitely stood aside. They weren't exactly "soccer mom" material.

* * *

"Why isn't the coach letting Riley in the game?" Callie asked with frustration. They were halfway through the game and the girl was still sitting on the side.

"I'll handle this" Mark said as he got up.

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked.

"I'll go talk to the coach, maybe I can convince her to let Riley in"

"Mark!" Lexie yelled and grabbed her boyfriend's arm; jealousy covering her face.

"I'm not really flirting with her! I'm just you know…using the Sloan charm to make sure Riley gets to play…"

"No Mark don't, you'll embarrass Riley" Arizona said, she suddenly remembered why she was against the idea of inviting Mark.

"Don't worry! I got it!" the man said and walked towards the coach.

"I can't watch this" Arizona buried her face in Callie's neck.

"Don't underestimate the Sloan method…he might actually convince her…" Callie said and Owen nodded his head in agreement.

Mark walked over to Coach Peterson' side. "Hey coach, I'm Mark…I'm a friend of Riley's umm…" the man said and stretched his hand. Riley looked at him and covered her hands over her face. _What the hell is he doing?,_ she thought.

"Heather Peterson, nice meeting you" the woman shook his hand. She quickly turned her attention back to the field. The game was almost over and none of the teams had yet to score a goal.

"Nice meeting you too…" Mark said. "I was wondering if you could let Riley in the game"

"I think I know how to do my job" she answered authoritatively.

"Well you do it wonderfully" Mark said but he knew flattering won't get him anywhere; the woman was like a brick wall. "Look coach, Riley has been living with my friends for a few months now – they're her foster parents …" Mark turned his gaze over to Callie and Arizona so Coach Peterson could see them. "And umm…she's been through a lot and this game really cheered her up, I mean she was really looking forward to this match…practicing and everything…what do you say Coach? Can you give her a chance? Her moms are really excited too…they're kinda new to this soccer "thing"…"

Coach Peterson sighed. She hated when parents interrupted her coaching system; they could be so pushy sometimes. But she could let this one go by…Riley was a good player after all and she was trying really hard. "Fine" she gave Mark a cold look. "RILEY!" the coach shouted. "Get in there!"

"Thanks coach!" Mark said and returned to his sit.

"You did it!" Callie gave Mark a hug.

"The Sloan method works every time…" the man said arrogantly.

* * *

It was 7 minutes before the end of the game and still no team had scored. Riley was doing her best but she was still hesitant and she lingered on the sides. Suddenly, a player from the opposing team was kicking the ball and approaching her. She quickly stole the ball from her and started heading towards the other side of the field.

"Arizona! Look!" Callie called for her wife's attention. Riley was running and kicking the ball towards the other team's goal. Opposing players tried to steal the ball back from her, but Riley was faster.

"Look at her go!" Arizona cheered and snapped a few photos on her iphone.

"Man, the kid's really fast" Mark commented.

"Come on Riley!" Callie shouted. Riley was just a short distance from making a goal.

But just when the girl was about to make the winning kick, a player from the opposing team stretched her leg, making Riley fall hard on the ground.

"HEY!" Callie and Arizona shouted in unison and got up from their sits. That girl just made Riley trip.

"What the hell is this!?" Mark asked angrily as he rose from his sit as well.

"That little bitch!" Cristina said furiously. Hungover or not, she couldn't let that pass.

"Give her a red card!" Owen shouted. The six doctors now stood up completely, not even caring that they are blocking other people's view, and yelled in frustration.

"Oh I'm gonna let that other girl a piece of my mind – " Callie ranted in rage.

"No Callie wait" Arizona stopped her wife just in time.

"You okay?" Coach Peterson asked Riley, she ran to the kid's side when she saw her fall.

"Yeah it was just an accident" Riley said, she clearly wasn't angry at the other team's player like her supporters.

"Okay, you think you can do a penalty kick?" the Coach asked.

Riley nodded in agreement. The ref blew his whistle again, signaling the players to resume the game.

Riley stood on the penalty mark, approximately 12 yards from the other team's goal. She knew that it was her team's last chance at winning. She had to make that kick.

Riley closed her eyes and took a big breath. She gathered her fullest concentration and in her mind, the only thing she saw was that goal. She took a few steps back and kicked the ball, shooting it straight into the other team's goal. Their goal keeper never stood a chance.

"YES!" the six doctors shouted and got up in excitement. Riley just scored the winning goal. The six doctors were cheering Riley and screaming uncontrollably.

Everybody around were shouting and yelling in excitement. Riley's teammates were hugging her and congratulating her. The team had just won thanks to her.

After the excitement has faded and the game was over, Riley walked to Callie and Arizona.

"Nice job kid" Mark said, giving Riley a high five.

"You were amazing monkey" Arizona said while giving Riley a tight hug.

"Oh no, sweetie you're bleeding!" Callie said. She knelt down and took a look at Riley's bruised knee.

"It's okay it doesn't hurt" Riley said as to assure Callie and Arizona everything is okay.

"Must be from the fall…but it's just a little scrape we'll clean it up when we get home" Arizona said.

"Well I better take Cristina home, great game kid!" Owen said while dragging Cristina to the car.

"Yeah we're gonna go too…see you guys" Lexie said before joining hands with Mark as the two left for their car as well.

"Celebratory ice cream?" Callie suggested, looking at her wife and kid.

"YES!" the two answered in unison.


	12. Chapter 12

Callie pulled out her key and unlocked the door to the apartment. It was after midnight and she had just gotten back home after a very long day. A family of four came into the ER after a bad car crash and she was in n' out of surgeries all day long; fortunately they all made it.

The brunette put her jacket over the sofa, walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The cold liquid soothed her dry throat; Callie was in the OR for hours and she had gotten a little dehydrated.

Callie felt a bit sorry for coming home late and not spending her evening with Arizona and Riley. The three always talked about how their day went and shared interesting stories over dinner. There was nothing like family time to cheer you up after a long day; and Callie had definitely looked forward to spending some time with her family after the tiresome day she had. Though by the time she had gotten home, Riley and Arizona were already asleep.

Ironically, there were times Callie spent her whole day wishing for some massive trauma to come by. As a resident, she loved the long hours, the back to back surgeries…there was always so much energy and intensity around. And now…things were completely different. Nowadays she woke up early, _on purpose_; not so she would get to the hospital first and get a hold of all the best surgeries, but because she had to make breakfast, wake Riley up and get her ready to school. She didn't go to Joe's after work anymore, because she had to get dinner ready and help Riley with her homework. And after all of that there were still piles of laundry waiting to be done, cleaning and bills to pay. But Callie loved every minute of it. She honestly did. When Callie saw Riley smile, and laugh, and play – she knew all of that cleaning and worrying and making sure everything was taken care of was worth it. She was meant to be a mom.

_Ugh, I must be turning into a big softie_, Callie thought to herself. Having Riley around had changed her. But she was still Callie Torres – Ortho goddess. She might be making smiley shaped pancakes but she was still a badass surgeon. And today was one of those days where being a kickass surgeon came before being a mother. It was just part of the job. Though usually Callie and Arizona were good at managing work and family life. It wasn't easy – but the two relied on each other; and always worked well together.

In spite of how well Callie felt she and Arizona were dealing with everything, Arizona was still insecure about her "motherhood", which was something Callie found a little…puzzling. It's not like Arizona wasn't used to kids.

Arizona was a pediatric surgeon and a very good one too. She wore roller skates for shoes! She had a pink scrub cap! Her patients adored her. Callie couldn't understand why her wife was lacking confidence.

After being together for almost 4 years, it was the first time Callie saw Arizona being self conscious about something. Her wife was such a perfectionist; she always had to be the best in everything, she was always so confident. Being this insecure was so out of character for Arizona.

Callie didn't admit this, but a little part of her was relieved to see that Arizona has some sort of a flaw. She didn't mean this in a bad way, but it made Arizona a bit more human. Callie knew her wife had in her and that she was evolving into a great mother. Callie was happy that they were working together to become better parents for Riley, and she was happy her wife was being open with her; which wasn't always easy for Arizona to do.

Callie put the glass in the sink. She was about to head over to bed but decided to sneak in a peek in Riley's bedroom; she hadn't seen the girl all day long and she missed her. Callie opened the door gently, as to not wake up Riley. Looking through the crack, Callie could see a flashlight lighting beneath Riley's covers.

"Riley?" Callie whispered. "Are you awake?"

Riley's head popped up from under the covers. "Yeah…"

Callie entered the bedroom; she turned on Riley's nightstand lamp and sat on the girl's bed. "It's late, what are you doing awake?"

"Nothing…I'm just not tired" Riley tried to say but a yawn escaped her mouth.

Callie chuckled. "You certainty look tired…scoot over" the brunette told the girl so she could lie next to her. Callie rested her head against one of Riley's pillows and turned her head to the side so she could look at Riley. "So what's up?"

"Nothing…" Riley smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"How was school today?"

"Good…" the girl answered simply."How was your surgery?"

Callie laughed. It was the middle of the night and even then the only thing Riley found interesting was surgery. "It was good too. I had to fix a little girl's leg, she was in a bad car crash…"

"Did you save her?"

"I sure did" Callie tapped the tip of Riley's nose playfully. "So what are you doing awake so late at night?" Callie asked again and stroked Riley's hair behind her ear. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Riley nodded. And it wasn't the first time Riley was having nightmares either. Callie and Arizona heard Riley wake up in the middle of the night a few times before, but the girl never agreed to talk about it.

"What did you dream about?"

"Just about…Jeff and Angela…" Riley admitted. Jeff and Angela were Riley's former foster parents. The couple had physically abused her and the 3 other foster kids living with them for over a year. They were the reason Riley ran away and they had nearly beaten her to death afterwards. They were also the reason Riley ended up at Callie and Arizona's OR table which led to them meeting her and taking her in. Arizona and Callie had encouraged the girl to open up about her abusive past, but she was reluctant to; and frankly it worried Callie and Arizona. They knew Riley was still hurting over everything that happened to her and they didn't know how to help her. Jane, their social worker, had advised Callie and Arizona no to push the girl and wait until she decides to approach them.

"Was it like the other dreams?" Callie asked.

Riley just nodded. Callie noticed Riley's body language changed when she brought up the other dreams. The girl lowered her eyes and her facial expression became rigid.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really…." Riley whispered. The girl's eyes were swollen with exhaustion; she was clearly tired but she was too upset to fall asleep.

"Just try talking to me…if it gets too hard, we could stop…" Callie said softly and stroked Riley's hair again.

Riley sighed heavily. "Sometimes I dream that Jeff and Angela take me away…back to their house…" she confessed, still not daring to look at Callie.

Callie pulled her body upwards. "What else do you dream about?" she urged the girl to continue.

"That they…hit me" Riley's words were barely audible. "It feels very real…" she added sadly.

"Riley" Callie whispered. "Look at me".

Riley was scanning her eyes around the room and biting her nails nervously. As an abused child, making eye contact was often hard for her. For years, she was taught to be submissive and walk with her head down.

Callie pulled Riley's chin gently and turned the girl's head towards her. "You're not going anywhere. Arizona and I won't let anything bad happen to you. You understand?" Callie's voice was firm but warm at the same time.

"You don't have to be scared anymore." The brunette added while looking at the girl's eyes deeply. She wanted to make sure Riley understood what she was saying.

"Okay…" Riley said, though there was still a worried look on her face.

"What is it?" Callie brushed her hand over Riley's cheek, slightly wiping her tears.

Riley didn't say anything, instead she looked away and pulled Callie's hands off from her face.

"Riley, I know you've been promised things before and then it didn't turn out the way it should. But this time it's different, okay? Arizona and I are making sure you're going to stay with us"

Riley's expression lit up. "Really?" the girl asked, her eyebrows creased with suspicion.

"Yeah…" the brunette nodded with a smile.

"You promise?"

"Yes" Callie said with certainty. "Come here" she pulled Riley into an embrace.

Riley lay next to Callie; she put her head on Callie's chest and closed her eyes. Callie couldn't believe it. Riley was usually so…resistant; any forms of affection were off limits; It was one of the biggest "issues" Callie and Arizona had to deal with. At first, Riley used to freak out every time Callie and Arizona tried giving her a hug or a cuddle. She used to give Mark the coldest glare whenever he tried giving her a high five; she scared the crap out of him. But as the months went by, Riley became more open towards Callie and Arizona and in return she agreed to the occasional hand holding or morning hug. But even then, it didn't last long and she still seemed uncomftable with it.

At that moment however, she didn't seem to mind behind held by Callie at all. Riley nested herself closer to Callie, her head still on the brunette's chest and one of her arms was over Callie's stomach. Callie took a minute to grasp what was happening. She then put her arm around Riley and held her tight. She used her other arm to tenderly stoke Riley's hair. Callie lowered her head and kissed Riley's forehead. The girl had the most intoxicating smell, almost like a baby's. Her expression was so peaceful, so…pure and innocent. Callie couldn't stop looking at her. _She loved Riley so much_.

Callie rested her head against Riley's and exhaled heavily. Exhausted from her long day, the brunette drowsed into sleep in less than a minute…

* * *

Arizona woke up suddenly. She turned to her right side and noticed Callie wasn't in bed. She sat up and checked the time on her phone; it was 4:00 A.M. _Where the hell is Callie?_, the blond thought with slight fear. Callie was supposed to be home by now.

The blond got up and walked to the living room. _Maybe Callie fell asleep on the couch?_ , she asked herself. As Arizona walked to the living room she could see light coming from Riley's bedroom. The door was half open and when Arizona peeked inside, she saw the most amazing image. She leaned on the doorframe and a smile brightened her face. Callie was lying on Riley's bed with the girl resting peacefully on her side. Callie's head was tilted and her arms were protectively covering the little girl next to her. The two were obviously sleeping deeply as neither noticed nor heard Arizona entering the room.

Arizona just stood there, smiling to herself. Callie and Riley looked so adorable together; Arizona felt like she could stay there and watch them all night long. But with all the love and admiration Arizona felt at that very moment, she couldn't help but feel a hint to jealousy rising within her. She was _jealous_ of Callie. She was jealous because she wanted to be there – holding Riley in her arms. Arizona felt bad for being jealous – it wasn't fair to Callie. But deep down Arizona knew why she was _really_ feeling that way.

And the reason was _fear_.

Arizona was afraid she wasn't going to be a good mom…whatever being a "good" mom means. She was scared she would never get to hold Riley like that. Those fears were a bit ridiculous, Arizona knew that. It's just that, becoming a mother was more natural to Callie as she wanted it her whole life. While for Arizona, who had just recently warmed up to the idea of becoming a mother, it took a bit more time to get the hang of things.

Arizona _loved_ Riley - she had no doubt about it. Arizona knew, from the moment the girl was brought to her OR table that she was different. And Arizona knew, Riley belonged with Callie and her.

But that little insecurity, that little drawback, that little fear she wasn't going to be a good mom, haunted Arizona's thoughts relentlessly. She wasn't used to being this…insecure. Ever since childhood, Arizona was always good at everything she put her mind too. Whether it was schoolwork, college, med school, residency…she was always the best. So why was she doubting herself so much? She has a beautiful, supportive, amazing and talented wife and they are going to adopt this…incredible kid that was well over everything Arizona had ever dreamt of. So why was she still scared?

Arizona sighed. It was way too early for those kind thoughts to be occupying her mind. The blond entered the room and walked up to Callie's side.

"Callie" Arizona whispered and softly shoved Callie's shoulder so she would wake up.

"Hmmm…" the brunette groaned and opened her eyes."Hey…"

"Shhh…you'll wake Riley" Arizona turned her gaze to the girls lying in Callie's arms.

"I can't believe I fell asleep…" Callie whispered. She gently moved Riley from her side and positioned her on the bed. The girl moved a little bit but she didn't wake up. Arizona pulled the blanket over Riley and drew her hand to help Callie get up.

"What happened?" Arizona asked.

"She had a bad dream, I just walked in and we talked a little bit until we fell asleep…" Callie explained.

"Okay, you're coming to bed?" They had to get up for work in a few hours.

Callie was about to follow Arizona towards the door when something caught her attention. She saw an object sticking out from underneath Riley's pillow.

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked when she noticed Callie lightly lifted the edge of Riley's pillow. "Callie you'll wake her up!" Arizona hissed.

"There's something here…"

"What is it?" Arizona asked.

"A picture" the brunette answered. Arizona came closer to Callie's side and took a look at what her wife found. The picture was wrinkled and a bit smeared too. In the picture there were two kids. The first was a boy, he had blond hair and he looked about 7 or 8 years old. The little boy was holding a toddler, who Arizona and Callie recognized as Riley; she looked about 2 years old at the time. Arizona and Callie had guessed the boy was Riley's older brother Andrew, who passed away over a year ago.

"_Awww_…" Arizona whimpered.

Callie put her arm around her wife. "Just when I thought she couldn't get any cuter…" Callie whispered with a smile. The two were still standing next to Riley's bed.

"They look so happy together" Arizona pointed out. In the picture, Andrew was hugging Riley and the two were smiling broadly to the camera.

"I always wonder how she looked like as a baby…" Callie admitted.

"Me too…" the blond agreed."Come on let's go to bed before we wake her up".

"Yeah…" Callie said and followed her wife to their bedroom.

* * *

Early rays of sunshine were breaking through Riley's bedroom window, signaling the girl it was time to wake up. Riley blinked a couple times and rubbed her eyes with her hand. She pulled her body upwards and stretched her arms. She hadn't slept so well in months!

Slowly, Riley started to recall of her conversation with Callie from last night. She wasn't quite sure how or when exactly she fell asleep, but she did remember talking to Callie about her nightmare; and it actually felt kinda nice, letting everything off her chest.

And then, somehow, she found herself lying in Callie's arms. It felt strange for Riley; she wasn't used to being…held…like that. And it's not like she was a baby, she didn't need to be held….But Riley had to admit it felt good…made her feel loved.

She would never admit this to Callie and Arizona though. The two were already hugging too much in her opinion.

Riley was about to get up from bed when she noticed something. The picture of her and Andrew, the only childhood picture she owned - the only picture of Andrew she owned, was sitting in a frame on her nightstand.

She concluded that Callie and Arizona must have seen it last night. It was nice of them to put it in a frame, the picture was getting all wrinkly under the pillow.

A smile formed on Riley's face; she got up and started getting ready for school.


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, so this chapter is more about Riley's relationship with Mark and you won't get to see too much of Callie and Arizona. Mark is like Callie's family, and so it was important for me that he would have a good relationship with Riley too. I know some of you might be disappointed because you want to see more of Riley's relationship with Callie and Arizona. But I promise the next few chapters are going to be all about that and you will see some great progress…**

**Thanks again for reading and all the positive feedback, I really appreciate it!**

* * *

"I set our phone numbers on speed dial" Callie said while handing Riley a cell phone. "And I wrote the hotel's number on the fridge".

Callie and Arizona were about to leave to the airport and catch a flight to LA; the two were heading to a conference that lasted all weekend long. Mark was being a helpful friend and volunteered to stay in with Riley so Callie and Arizona could go. The two women were a bit nervous about leaving Riley with Mark for three whole days. It's been six months since they took Riley in and this weekend was the first time they were leaving her side. It wasn't that Callie and Arizona didn't trust Mark, they were just being anxious about leaving Riley for the first time just like any new parents would be. In fact, Mark was really great with Riley and the two were forming a wonderful relationship.

In contrast, Riley was really excited to spend the weekend with Mark and she hardly seemed to mind Callie and Arizona were going away for three days. Riley loved Mark; the two were always doing fun things together.

"Remember this phone is for emergencies only" Callie indicated.

Riley nodded her head with understanding. She sat on the couch while Callie and Arizona stood in front of her.

"Monkey if anything happens –"

"Oh for God's sake!" Mark's loud voice cut through Arizona's words. The man stood in the kitchen and threw his hands with frustration.

"Shut up Mark!" Arizona muttered angrily. Mark just had to learn to butt out.

"It's one weekend! Nothing is going to happen!" Mark said with annoyance. It's not like it was the first time he was spending some quality time with Riley. He had taken her to the movies and baseball games before. He had even picked her up from school. Why was this any different?

Callie put her arm on Arizona's shoulder to calm her wife down. They needed to leave soon and she didn't want Mark and Arizona start biting each other's heads off.

"Anyway, what I was saying, if anything happens – " Arizona turned her head to the kitchen and gave Mark a scolding look. The man just rolled his eyes and turned around. "Then you call us right away, okay?"

"Doesn't matter what time it is …just call us" Callie added.

"Okay" Riley nodded her head again.

"Alright we need to leave right now unless we're gonna miss out flight…" Callie pointed out; the three then got up and walked towards the door.

"Bye Monkey, have a great weekend!" Arizona hugged Riley goodbye. Mark handed Arizona her carryon with a smirk on his face. She huffed angrily and grabbed the bag from his hand. She was about to tell him off when Callie signaled her to stop.

"Bye baby!" Callie gave Riley a tight hug. "Take good care of her!" she whispered in Mark's ear and gave him a hug as well.

"I will Torres, have fun at the conference" Mark helped the brunette roll her suitcase outside.

"Finally!" Mark shouted once Callie and Arizona left the apartment."You ready to have the best weekend of your life Kiddo?" he asked arrogantly.

"Yeah!" Riley yelled with excitement and gave Mark a high five.

* * *

The two were at the park and Mark was demonstrating to Riley how to swing a baseball bat. Apparently the kid was very much into sports, and as neither Callie nor Arizona were athletic, Mark was more than willing to take over that department. And so, when the kid showed an interest in playing baseball, Mark grabbed his old equipment and drove to the park for an afternoon lesson.

"Alright kid, what you need to do is place your feet like this", Riley mimicked Mark's pose. "Good, now bend your knees and hold the bat above your shoulders".

"Like that?" Riley asked and moved her body according to Mark's instructions.

"Yeah, but try bending you knees a little more…" Mark corrected.

"Better?" the girl asked after adjusting.

"Yeah, excellent. Now I want you to put most of your weight on your back leg and don't hold the bat too strongly, you need to stay loose. Then when you see me pitch the ball towards you, you're gonna twist you hip, stride forward with your front foot, and swing as hard as you can".

Mark pulled the bat behind his shoulders and swung the bat hardily. Riley watched Mark closely and followed his directions.

"That was good! But try using your whole body, that creates more force" the man swung the bat once more to clarify his meaning.

Riley tried swinging the bat again, only this time she twisted her whole body as Mark indicated.

"Exactly! You're a natural!" Mark gave Riley a high five. "I'm gonna take a few steps back and throw the ball towards you, okay?"

"Okay" Riley said. She then adjusted her position just like Mark taught her.

"You ready kiddo?" Mark yelled.

"Yeah!"

Mark pitched the ball towards Riley, but the girl's swing missed the ball.

"Its okay, try extending your hands forward when you see the ball coming to you".

Riley nodded and modified her position again.

"Ready?"

Mark pitched the ball once again. Riley twisted her whole body in a sharp movement, she extended her hands to the contact point and hit the ball strongly – sending it to the other side of the park.

"Yeah!" Mark shouted with excitement. "That's what I'm talking about!"

"That was awesome!" the girl yelled happily.

"Come on let's do it again" Mark said after he ran to retrieve the ball.

The two continued playing for a couple more hours. Mark had to admit, that girl had quite a swing; pretty impressive for such a small sized girl. Every now and then he threw in a comment to correct Riley's position, but the kid was a fast learner and by the time the sun was about to set, she had a nearly perfect swing.

"Alright that was a good practice" Mark was staring to get a little worn out. They were playing for over two hours and the kid just kept on going!

"Yeah that was fun" the girl said. She put the bat on the ground and grabbed a water bottle from her bag.

Mark's attention was distracted when he saw two very attractive ladies jog together around the park. He was in a committed relationship with Lexie, but he couldn't help but sneak in a glance every now and then. It was totally innocent though, he was simply looking. Mark's back was facing Riley and he didn't see she was not holding the bat.

"Hey kid think fast!" Mark turned around in a quick moment and threw the ball hardily towards the girl, completely knocking her and the water bottle she was holding on the ground.

"Crap!" Mark cursed under his breath when he realized he just hit Callie's kid with a baseball. He ran to the girl's side and helped her get up. "You okay kid?"

_"What the hell Mark!" _Riley yelled. Her head was hurting and she felt a bit dizzy too.

"Sorry! Why weren't you holding the bat?"

"I was drinking water! Maybe if you didn't look at those women..._OUCH!_" the girl cried in pain. She was rubbing her hand over her forehead when she felt a sharp sting. She lowered her palm and noticed there was blood on it.

"Oh man, Callie and Arizona are going to kill me! I have to take you to the hospital, it looks like you need stitches" Mark said as he examined the girl's wound. The cut was near her eyebrow and blood was dripping all over the side of her face.

"Ugh, are you serious?" the girl whined.

"Hey I thought you liked the hospital!" Mark pulled out a towel and pressed it against the girl's cut. He then pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"Derek. I'm gonna ask him to take a look over you, make sure you don't have a concussion or something…"

* * *

"Mark I'm fine! I can walk by myself!" Riley protested. Even though Derek had assured Mark Riley was going to be okay and that she wasn't suffering from a concussion, the man had insisted on rolling her in a wheelchair.

"Let me just get you into an examination room …"

Mark pulled Riley into a side room and helped her sit on the bed. He then pulled a suture kit from the supply closet and sat on a chair in front of her.

"What's with the needle?" the girl gulped in panic when she saw Mark pull out a syringe.

"I need to give you local anesthesia"

"I don't need it" Riley tried to put on a brave face; her body subconsciously shifted uneasily to the sight of the sharp object.

"What you're scared of needles? I thought you wanted be a doctor" Mark teased her.

Riley pouted; on any other time she would have found Mark's comments funny. They always gave each other crap like that. However she didn't appreciate it right now when Mark was about to stick a freaking needle in her face.

"I'm not scared…it's just a big needle that's all…" Riley defended herself.

Mark sighed. Sometimes he forgets that Riley is just a little girl and right now he wasn't being very helpful…or mature for that matter. "Don't worry, you're gonna feel a tiny sting and then it'll all be over, okay?" the man's voice was calm and reassuring.

"Fine…" Riley muttered bitterly. She was in pain, she was cranky and she was tired; and she just needed for the whole thing to be over already.

Mark drew some of the anesthetic liquid using the syringe. He then tapped the injector a couple times in order to expel any remaining air. "Just take a big breath and relax…" he encouraged Riley.

The girl's face creased a little when she felt the small throb. But Riley had to admit – it wasn't half as bad as she expected it to be. The whole thing was over in a couple seconds.

"You okay there?" Mark turned around and threw away the used syringe to the bin. He then returned to his sit in front of Riley and began suturing her wound.

"Yeah…" she replied softly.

"I really am sorry kid…" Mark apologized again; he really did feel awful.

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean it" Riley said sympathetically. "Am I going to have a scar?"

"No, because I'm a world class, double board certified, plastic surgeon" Mark stated proudly. Riley laughed at his arrogance. But at the same time she was relieved she won't be looking like a pirate with a big scar on her face for the rest of her life.

"Well if it makes you feel better, I have a feeling I'm the one who's going to need stitches once Callie and Arizona find out what happened" Mark halved joked. It wasn't like Riley was seriously injured or anything but he didn't know how Callie and Arizona were going to react. One thing Mark was sure about, it wasn't going to be a calm and understanding reaction.

"I'm serious, I'm pretty sure they will never let me play baseball with you again…" Mark added when his comment made Riley roll with laughter.

"They won't be that mad…" Riley giggled. The image of Arizona and Callie beating a grown masculine man like Mark was just too funny…

"I don't know kiddo, I've been on Arizona's target for over 4 years….I think she'll happily beat the crap out of me and this time Callie will help her too…heck, maybe even Lexie will help them…"

"I won't tell Lexie you were checking out those ladies" Riley teased him. She didn't forget what caused this whole "accident" to begin with.

Mark let out a chuckle; he was glad Riley was feeling better and making jokes again. She nearly gave him a heart attack with that "freak accident". Other than that, Mark really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Riley and he was looking forward to playing baseball with her again. That is, if Callie and Arizona will ever let him. Riley was a fun kid…very sharp and energetic and Mark liked being the "fun uncle".

"You know kid, I'm really glad Callie and Arizona let me keep an eye on you this weekend" Mark admitted.

"Really?" the girl asked with surprise; a big smile formed on her face.

"Yeah! I like having you around"

"I like hanging out with you too" Riley confessed. She was really thankful for Mark, they were always having fun playing sports and video games, things that Callie and Arizona weren't really into. "But you need to stop trying so hard…" Riley's tone was both serious and full of humor at the same time.

Mark chuckled again. "Yeah…sorry, I don't have much experience with kids"

"Callie and Arizona were like that at first…" Riley smiled as she recalled on her first few, awkward, weeks with Arizona and Callie.

"Oh yeah?" Mark's face lit up with surprise.

"Umm hmm..." Riley sounded. "They were really worried, _like all the time_. And they kept asking me if everything was okay or if I needed anything. And at night, they would get up and check on me….they thought I was asleep but I saw them…"

"Creepy…" Mark thought out loud. He knew Callie and Arizona were nervous when they first started fostering Riley, which was a natural thing of course. But sneaking into the kid's bedroom at night? They were definitely trying too hard. _Funny how Callie didn't mention this_, Mark thought to himself. He was certainly going to use that against her, if by any chance her reaction will get out of control.

"Yeah…" Riley laughed "But things are better now" she added optimistically.

"Well, new situations are always rocky at first. The important thing is that you three are heading into the right direction" Mark pointed out thoughtfully. He actually adored Callie and Arizona for the remarkable transformation they went through with Riley. Most importantly, Mark was happy that his best friend found someone to spend the rest of her life with and now is starting a family as well. He had no doubt both Callie and Arizona were going to be great moms.

"Yeah…" Riley agreed.

"They really love you, kid. They always talk about you at work".

"I think I love them too…" Riley said, almost in a whisper. She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed; she wasn't really into all that "mushy talk" but the words just escaped from her mouth.

"But don't tell them I said that!" Riley pleaded. She knew Callie and Arizona cared about her, and she honestly cared about them too. But Riley wasn't ready to talk about it just yet.

Mark laughed when he saw Riley blush. "Okay, I won't" he promised.

* * *

"You're going down Kiddo!" Mark's booming voice was echoing through the apartment.

"No, you're going down!" Riley retaliated with confidence.

Mark and Riley were arguing playfully over a video game. The two sat comfortably in the living room, they were playing some sort of a racing game and Riley had already won four times in a row. Mark was a worthy opponent in comparison to Callie and Arizona's poor gaming skills; yet the man was still no match to Riley.

"We're home!" Callie announced as Arizona and her entered the apartment.

Mark and Riley turned their heads to the front door and greeted the two women. Mark got up to help them with the luggage and Riley followed him to give Callie and Arizona a welcoming hug.

"What happened to your face?" Arizona asked as she cupped Riley's cheeks with her hands. The two women turned their gaze to Mark, their eyes filled with anger, their faces indicating they were waiting for an explanation.

"Uh…" Mark mumbled blankly.

"I fell!" Riley shouted. Mark wasn't joking, it really did look like Callie and Arizona were going to beat him up. Mark gave the girl a thankful look; at least she was trying to cover up for him, though Callie and Arizona didn't seem to buy it.

"Umm hmm…." Callie grumbled with disbelief.

"It was an accident…" Mark explained, his face filled with remorse.

Callie breathed deeply. "Come here Riley, wanna see what we got from LA?" the brunette tried to lighten the mood. She pulled Riley to the living room and started unzipping her suitcase.

"You're not getting your present" Arizona said coldly when Mark followed them to the living room. The man gave her a disappointed look and sighed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello! So I made an effort to update soon since the last chapter wasn't that…satisfying. But, as I promised, this chapter will definitely show some progress in Callie and Arizona's relationship with Riley…and that will be the main focus for the following chapters as well.**

**Thanks again for reading, and um…I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"YAY RILEY!" Callie and Arizona shouted in unison. It was a Saturday afternoon and the two were at another one of Riley's soccer games. Usually Mark and Lexie came to Riley's games, sometimes Owen and Cristina came along too, yet they were all stuck at work; and so it was only Callie and Arizona this time. However that didn't stop Callie and Arizona from cheering their girl loudly, in fact people were starting to look at them oddly. When they first started going to Riley's games, the two doctors always laughed at how all the other parents, mostly the dads, got so competitive. And now…needless to say the two were the loudest parents in the crowd. And rightfully so. Riley had become the team's rising star. In that particular game, Riley had scored two goals, sending her team straight into victory.

"There she is!" Callie announced with excitement when Riley met them after the game was over. Riley wore a huge grin on her face, she obviously liked wining.

"Here you go sweetie" Arizona said and handed Riley a water bottle. The girl took the bottle willingly and started gulping. It was a hot day and she was sweaty from all the running.

"Umm…Emily is inviting everyone on the team to her house for a pizza party…so uh…" Riley was struggling to form a sentence as she was still panting. She also felt a bit awkward. It was the first time she was invited to a social gathering. She was still a bit nervous around other people, and the thought of going to some stranger's house scared her. But Riley did like her teammates, everyone were really friendly. Emily was nice too…Riley could see them becoming friends. And she like pizza…Callie and Arizona ordered pizza almost every dinner. So it won't be completely unfamiliar…it might actually be fun…

Callie and Arizona exchanged surprised looks. They were hoping that by joining the soccer team, Riley would open up to the idea of trying to make friends. Yet so far it didn't really work.

"You want to go?" Callie clarified what Riley was asking. The girl looked edgy and excited all at once. But it also looked like she wasn't exactly asking for permission, but more seeking for approval as to whether she should or shouldn't go.

"Umm yeah I mean, Emily said she wants me to come, and I said that I need to ask you so…" Riley mumbled rapidly.

"Uh…" Callie looked at Arizona, and the blond nodded with agreement. "Sure you can go sweetie!" heck if Riley was showing an interest in socializing, who were they to stop her?

Riley exhaled in relief and another smile formed on her face. She practically launched herself on Callie with an excited hug.

_"Thanks mom!"_ she shouted.

The three froze.

Riley pulled away from Callie. Did she just call her _mom_? Riley mentally faceplamed herself. How could she let that slip?

"I uh…" she stuttered blankly, her face was turning red with humiliation.

Callie's mouth was open from the shock. She tried to say something but she couldn't form any words. She didn't look at Arizona, but she could sense her wife was taken aback too.

"Okay, so I'm going… "Riley mumbled awkwardly, turned around and virtually ran towards her friends.

"O-Okay sweetie…have fun…" Arizona said, though Riley couldn't hear her.

Callie and Arizona shared another look. "Did that really just happen?" Callie asked. Her earlier shock seemed to gradually fade and a little smile was bending on her face.

"Yeah I guess it did…" the blond replied with a chuckle. She was still a bit astonished; and she wasn't quite sure how she was feeling about everything at the moment.

"I don't think we handled in too well…Riley looked really embarrassed"

"Well we were surprised!" Arizona pointed out, a hint of anger rising in her voice.

Callie nodded, "Right…but still we'll need to talk about, no?"

"Yeah yeah…we will…."

"I can't believe she called me _MOM!_" Callie squealed with happiness and gave Arizona a hug. The blond accepted the embrace unwillingly and grated her teeth; her face was radiating with jealously. How could this have happened?

"I have to tell Mark!" the brunette said, completely oblivious to her wife's apparent envy. She pulled out her phone and dialed her best friend's number.

* * *

Arizona was folding laundry in the living room. She stacked the piles of clothes angrily on the coffee table. She knew she was being childish and unsupportive. Callie was her _wife_; she wasn't supposed to be jealous of her.

Arizona was genuinely happy for Callie. And of course she was happy Riley was comfortable enough to call Callie "mom". The last time Riley had seen her biological mom was when she was a toddler, and she probably never said that _word_ since… she had nobody to say it to.

Arizona sighed. She was being ridicules. It obviously took a lot from Riley to be able to even consider calling someone "mom". This was a huge step forward - a positive step forward.

"Hey uh…" Callie said as she entered the living room. She leaned on the armrest of the couch in front of Arizona. "So you want to talk about something?"

"No… what makes you ask that?" Arizona snapped; she was trying to hide her feelings. She knew she was being unreasonable and she was tired from the long day…talking about everything would just annoy her even more.

"Well you've been folding laundry for the past hour, and you only do that when you're angry or upset…" Callie chuckled. She was hoping that comment might brighten Arizona's mood. Callie wasn't used to seeing her wife so distant.

"It's nothing…I don't want to talk about it" Arizona said coldly and turned her gaze back to the piles of laundry.

"Just spit it out Arizona, I know something's bugging you" Callie insisted. "Is it about today or –"

"I said I don't want to talk about it Calliope"

Callie got up and walked to the kitchen angrily. Arizona could be impossible sometimes."I don't know why you're being like this. We had a good day and then Riley –"

"She called you _mom_" Arizona admitted when she saw Callie wasn't going to let things go.

"What?"

"She called you _mom_. You - not me." Arizona lowered her gaze again, back to her laundry.

"So?" Callie asked. Now she was really confused.

"So? I don't know what I'm doing anymore…" Arizona threw a piece of clothing on the coffee table with frustration.

"And what does that suppose to mean?" Callie was still standing in the kitchen and suddenly she didn't mind the distance…

"It means that – everything happened so fast, and I just….I don't know anymore…" Arizona confessed. Her gaze was still lowered; she didn't dare to look at Callie. And frankly the words that were escaping from her mouth were starting to frighten her. Is that really how she felt?

"Arizona…" Callie whispered.

"No I mean, before I met you, I didn't want kids. I thought I was going to be one of those people who didn't have kids. And I don't know, maybe…maybe there was a reason. Maybe there was a good reason, because clearly I'm not cut out for this thing"

Callie just stared blankly at her wife with complete disbelief. What was she saying? That she doesn't want to pursue the adoption? That she wasn't ready to be a mom?

"Why are you always doing this, huh?" Callie asked grimly. Her face was rigid, and her eyes shot with anger. She could feel the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

And she also felt stupid. This was classic Arizona. Callie should have expected this reaction from her. Arizona was a brilliant surgeon, one who could handle any intense situation with no apparent stress or difficulty. But put the woman in a difficult personal situation…and she would back away with her tail between her legs.

But Callie honestly thought Arizona got over that. Here they were, on a journey to becoming a family. They were so close to finalize Riley's adoption; everything was going so well…just according to plan. Or maybe it wasn't Arizona's plan anymore…

"Do what?" the blond suddenly got defensive.

"Freak out, every time something major happens in your personal life? Because it isn't the same at work" Callie shot back. She knew she hit one of Arizona's weak spots.

"I don't know maybe there is something terribly wrong with me" Arizona turned her head and pretended to keep folding clothes. She had enough of that conversation.

"That's not what I was saying –"

"But a little bit you were –" Arizona muttered. A part of her knew Callie was right, and that angered her even more.

"No. it's just you always do this" the brunette shook her head with frustration. God, Arizona could be so stubborn. Callie pulled out a wine bottle from the kitchen cabinet. It was still a bit early for a drink but alcohol was a necessity if they were to go through with this conversation. And she intentionally didn't pull out a glass for Arizona too.

"And what is that exactly?" Arizona asked again, her voice rising higher.

"_BAIL!_" Callie shouted. "When things get hard you bail. It was the same way when we first started talking about having a baby and – "

"Whoa Whoa, the only reason I even considered having a baby was for you. Not for me, for you!" Arizona shouted back. Was Callie seriously bringing this whole baby "thing" again?

"So what do you want to do now? Huh?" Callie put down her wine glass hardly on the kitchen bar, "Do you want to return Riley, like some refundable gift?" she asked cynically.

"No of course not…" Callie's words hit Arizona like knives. She would never do that to Riley.

"You want to get rid of her –"

"Of course not! _I love Riley. I love our daughter_" Arizona screamed.

The two stared at each other in silence for a few short moments. Arizona exhaled heavily. This was exactly why she didn't want to talk over things – to avoid this fight. She looked at her wife. Callie was crying…hurt filled tears were streaming down her beautiful face. Arizona hated seeing Callie cry; and she hated it even more when she was the one responsible for making her wife upset.

But then Arizona thought about what she had just said. She called Riley "our daughter". Arizona called Riley – _our daughter_. It was the right thing to say because it expressed exactly how she felt. _Riley was their daughter_. Not legally, not yet. But it certainly felt like Riley was their daughter…and they certainly loved her that way.

"So why on earth are you being like this?" Callie's voice was a bit calmer this time.

"I don't know…"

_"Just say it!" _Callie demanded.

_"Because I'm scared, okay?" _Arizona yelled again.

"Arizona…" Callie walked to the living room and sat on the couch in front her wife. She then took Arizona's hands in hers, and looked at her blue eyes deeply.

"_I'm scared._ I'm scared I would be a horrible mother and that Riley would end up hating me. I'm scared I'm doing everything wrong and -"

Arizona stopped talking when she heard Callie laugh.

"What? This is funny to you Calliope?" she asked angrily and pulled her hands away.

Callie smiled and took Arizona's hands in hers again. "Arizona, you're just being a mom" she added thoughtfully.

"Really?" Arizona's forehead creased with surprise.

"Honey, fear is natural. I'm scared sometimes too…" Callie admitted. "I mean, we haven't really done things traditionally... we didn't get to ease into parenthood like most parents do with their babies. We got an 11 year old right off the bat. That can be overwhelming sometimes…"

Arizona cupped Callie's cheeks and wiped her tears with the tip of her thumb. This whole fight could have been avoided if the two just simply communicated. Arizona was so grateful for Callie…she always knew exactly what to say.

"Callie I'm sorry –" Arizona began to apologize.

"It's okay… "

"No, it's just that I saw you holding her in bed the other night and then she called you mom today, you're so much better at this –"

"Arizona…" Callie signaled Arizona to stop apologizing. "You are an amazing mom. Riley loves you. And this parenting this – it's about working together. We each contribute in our own way" Callie stroked Arizona's hair behind her ear. They had their faire share of fights but at least they made peace quickly…

"Just like you knew how to help Riley with her homework…" Callie added; the corners of her mouth curling into a smile.

Arizona smiled back. "And you knew what she would like to eat…"

"Exactly" Callie pulled Arizona into a loving kiss.

"I love you" Arizona's hot breath tickled Callie's ear.

"I love you too…" Callie whispered back. She rested her right hand on Arizona's waist and brushed it downwards, all the way to Arizona's hip and knee. She then stroked her wife's cheek with her left hand and pressed their mouths closer, into a deeper kiss.

They didn't break out into a heated make out session in quite a bit; not since they got Riley. But since the girl wasn't around now…they could fool around for a bit.

"Do we…still…have time…before we need…to pick up Riley?" Arizona asked in between kisses.

"Yeah, why?" Callie played innocent. But she knew exactly where Arizona was heading to.

"Well we did just have a fight…" Arizona started unbuttoning Callie's shirt, "and do you know what happens after a fight?"

"I'm not quite sure…" the brunette pulled off her shirt.

"I'll show you" Arizona grabbed Callie's hand and led her to the bedroom…while undressing. "Come on, we've got 20 minutes!"

* * *

Riley spotted Callie's black Ford Escape outside of Emily's house. Callie was sitting behind the wheel and Arizona sat next to her, the two were waving towards Riley, to make sure she would see them.

It turns out Riley had a lot of fun at her friend's house. Her new social status as the team's leading player had definitely boosted her popularly among her teammates. From being the shy and awkward new kid, Riley had become the center of attention; which was a little scary for her, she wasn't quite used to that much attention. But at the same time, it felt nice to finally have friends.

Riley had been in and out of many schools in her life, and for the first she seemed to have some sort of stability. When Riley first started attending Whitman Middle School she was slightly behind her classmates in terms of the school's curriculum. However with a little help and encouragement from Callie and Arizona's side she quickly started to catch up. Nowadays, not only was Riley a diligent student, but also a notable soccer player… and now she was making friends too. Everything seemed to fall into place since Callie and Arizona took her in.

Riley climbed into the car, shut the door and buckled her seatbelt.

"Hey baby! How was the party?" Callie asked happily. She was looking at Riley through the rearview mirror.

"It was fun" the girl answered with content.

Arizona smiled, "Monkey we're so proud of you for going! We know it must have been a little scary…"

"It was a little scary at first but then I got over it…" Riley tried to play it cool. Though deep down she was kinda proud of herself too; overcoming her biggest fear made her feel very brave.

Riley was looking through the car's window. She hadn't forgotten the little "incident" that happened earlier after the soccer match. With all the excitement from winning the game and being invited to a friend's house, Riley had accidently called Callie "mom". She didn't know why she said it, the words just escaped from her mouth. It was so embarrassing_._

Riley knew Callie and Arizona would want to talk about it…which was something she definitely didn't want to do; so she would just explain what happened, so they could get over it and move on.

"So umm…about before…" Riley stuttered. Arizona turned her head behind the car seat and Callie glanced over to the mirror again. "I just…I didn't mean to…to say that _word_….it just slipped so…it's not a big deal or anything". Riley could barely look at Callie and Arizona. She could already feel the hot flashes of humiliation covering her face.

"Riley you don't have to apologize" Arizona's voice was warm and comforting.

Callie pulled over on the side of the road and turned around so she could see Riley as well. This was the kind of conversation you needed to make face to face.

"We're not mad…" the blond continued explaining. She looked at Callie and was hoping her wife would barge in and say something comforting as well. 

"We were just surprised that's all" Callie added.

"But in a good way!" Arizona stated cheerfully.

Riley nodded her head and sighed with relief. This conversation had turned out better than she thought it would be. And it seemed like Callie and Arizona were as uncomfortable about this "situation" as she was.

"Right yeah!" the brunette agreed. "And also…if...If you want…you could call us moms…if you want –"

"Only if you want" Arizona emphasized.

"Oh…" Riley paused for a moment. "Umm…I don't think I'm ready for that yet"

Riley didn't mean to call Callie "mom", it just happened. Maybe it was a subconscious act. Callie and Arizona were the closest thing Riley had for a parent figure; and she sincerely loved them as if they were her real moms. However, it was still too soon for her to actually call them moms.

Callie and Arizona smiled. They were glad Riley was being honest with them; it just showed how she learnt to be comfortable around them. And It didn't scare them that she wasn't ready… they could give her all the time in the world.

Callie started pulling the car back on the road, "That's okay honey, we'll get there"


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay so, I think some of you will think that this chapter is weird. And you might even think that it doesn't fit the story. I finished outlining the story a couple of weeks ago, and this chapter sort of came up…so it wasn't part of the plan.**

**But I still think it's a nice addition, and although it doesn't make much sense now…I promise it will later on.**

**I would just like to point out that all the information specified in this chapter, and this story as a whole, is based on real research. I am a bit of a medical junky…so I tried to write all the medical stuff as realistically as possible and I hope I didn't make any mistakes.**

**I know some of you are waiting for a big Arizona and Riley moment, and you will definitely get one. Next chapter, I promise! I already wrote it, but there's still some editing to do. I will do my best to update soon.**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

It was early evening, Riley and Callie were setting the table while Arizona unpacked the Chinese food she brought on her way back from work.

"Okay we got…" Arizona pulled three takeout containers from a paper bag. "Chicken chow mein with no veggies?"

"That's mine!" Riley announced.

"Do you want a fork?"

"Nah, I'm good with chopsticks" the girl said with a smirk.

"Well, look at you eating noodles with chopsticks like a pro" Callie teased. Riley didn't know how to eat with chopsticks before she met Callie and Arizona. Fortunately, the two ordered Chinese food on a regular basis and so the kid became very skillful at using them.

"Kung pao chicken?"

"Oh that's for me!" Arizona handed the food to Callie and kissed her playfully on the cheek. It was Callie's day off and the two hadn't seen each other since that morning.

Arizona grabbed the last container and sat next to Callie and Riley near the dining table. The three eased into a light conversation as they ate, like they usually do.

"Did you know it takes 7 seconds for food to reach your stomach?" Riley stated in between bites.

"Really? 7 seconds?" the brunette questioned with amazement as she got up and walked to the fridge.

"Umm hmm", Riley sounded, "And did you know that the human bone is 4 times stronger than concrete?"

"Now I highly doubt that… "Callie replied with disbelief as she returned to her seat with two beer bottles for her and Arizona and a soda can for Riley.

"_Annnd_, did you know a cockroach can live 9 days without its head?"

"Alright Dr. Dolittle, that's enough" Callie gave Riley a warning look.

"It will eventually die of starvation" the girl indicated nonchalantly.

"Riley come on, we're eating" Arizona said with disgust. Must they talk about dead cockroaches during dinner?

"Sorry…" the girl smiled sheepishly.

"Where did you learn all of those weird facts anyway?" Callie asked. It wasn't the first time Riley was sharing that kind of information with them. She was always looking into strange facts and statistics; it wasn't exactly what most 11 year olds were into. But Callie and Arizona knew Riley was different then most kids her age. And even though she became more open to the idea of spending time with other kids, that still didn't stop her growing curiosity to everything related to medicine, science and math.

Callie and Arizona loved watching Riley's enthusiasm and they were happy that she was being more chatty and energetic around them. They also assumed that Riley was more interested in "adult - like" matters because she was, in fact, surrounded by adults most of the time and in particularly – surgeons. Overall they preferred she would be reading about the newest scientific discoveries rather than watch the latest reality series on TV.

"I don't know… I just read it somewhere" Riley shrugged her shoulders.

"Callie do you want the last dumpling?" Arizona asked when the three were almost done with their dinner.

"What's in it?"

"Shrimp" Arizona replied.

"Did you know that the shrimp's heart is in its head?" Riley pulled yet another fun fact.

"Man, you just know everything today huh?" Callie caressed her hand over Riley's head as she got up to clear her plate.

"Did you know that if you sneeze too hard you can fracture a rib?" Riley challenged Callie.

Callie chuckled, "I don't think that's true Ms. Smarty pants"

Arizona rolled her eyes and sighed. It may not be her choice of a dinner conversation, but at least Riley was in a good mood and Arizona loved seeing that. She got up and walked to the living room. Her lips were slightly dry from the cold weather and so she pulled a chapstick out of her bag, to moisturize her lips.

"Arizona, did you know chapstick contains fish scales?" Riley could barely hold her laughter.

Arizona spat and wiped the chapstick from her lips with the back of her hand.

Callie rolled with laughter at her wife's reaction, "I thought it was whale fat…"

"Callie!" Arizona whined. She then put the chapstick back into her bag.

Riley walked to the living room and sat next to Arizona on the sofa. Callie stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.

"Riley how do you remember these facts?" Arizona asked while playing with Riley's hair.

"I don't know I just do…"

"Is it usually easy for you to remember things?" Callie gave Arizona a suspicious look from the kitchen; she could already tell Arizona was up to something.

"Umm hmm... ", Riley nodded.

"What about pictures?"

"Yeah I'm good with pictures too" Riley replied hesitantly. She got the feeling like Arizona was looking into something too.

Arizona got up from the sofa and walked to her and Callie's bedroom. She returned to the living room, holding her laptop.

"Riley, I'm going to show you a picture on my computer, I want you to look at it very well and study it. After a few seconds I'm going to close the laptop and ask you some questions about the picture, okay?"

"Umm…okay" Riley shared a confused look with Callie.

"Arizona what are you doing?" Callie asked while sitting on the edge of the sofa across from Riley and Arizona.

"Just…I wanna try something"

Arizona faced the laptop in front of Riley and showed her a picture of a log cabin. Callie recognized the picture was of Arizona's parents' house in Missouri, but before the brunette could take a good look, Arizona closed the computer.

"Can you see the picture in your mind now?" Arizona asked Riley.

Riley closed her eyes, "Yeah"

"How many windows were in the front of the house?"

_Three,_ Callie answered to herself. Arizona showed Riley the picture for just a few seconds, but Callie knew that picture well, she knew that actual house!

"Five" Riley answered quickly; she didn't even need time to think about it.

"Good" the blond smiled mischievously.

"What!?" Callie asked with disbelief. She was sure there were three, she knew there were three…or were there five?

Arizona gestured Callie to be quiet. "And do you remember, what was the color of the roof tiles?"

_Red_, Callie answered mentally again. The window thing was easy, but the color of the roof tiles was barely noticeable in the picture. Riley could never see that in just a few seconds.

"Grey" Riley answered.

"Good, you answered correctly", Arizona's voice was impressed and intrigued at the same time.

Callie shook her head; what was Arizona trying to prove?

"But why did you ask me those questions?" Riley's voice was full of curiously.

"I wanted to test your visual recollection", Arizona admitted. "I wanted to see if you can remember small details in short time"

Callie chuckled, "You think she has photographic memory?"

"Like Lexie?" Riley's face lit up.

"Yeah, I don't know…it could be", Arizona shrugged, "I mean that short test wasn't much of an indicator. We should consult with Lexie tomorrow"

* * *

That next day, Callie and Arizona invited Lexie and Mark over for dinner. To Callie and Arizona's request, Lexie had agreed to check Riley's memory skills. She wasn't an authorized psychologist, she was just a surgical resident after all; but the young woman has photographic memory and so she has some background in dealing with it. And so, Riley spent the afternoon with Lexie over at the hospital, where the resident gave her a variety of short visual tests. It wasn't the precise way of testing memory skills; Lexie just wanted to check approximately how advanced Riley was.

"So what do you think?" Arizona asked eagerly.

Mark and Riley were watching a football game in the living room while Arizona, Callie and Lexie were standing in the kitchen and chatting.

"Look you guys I'm not –" Lexie started defending herself.

"Lexie, we know. We're not asking for a clear diagnosis, just a generalized assumption…that's all" Arizona assured her.

"Okay well, I don't want to get your hope up or anything, but I think there is a very good chance Riley has photographic memory"

"Really?" Callie asked with surprise.

"I can't guarantee anything, but from what I've witnessed Riley's abilities are quiet uncanny"

"Uncanny?" the brunette questioned again and shared a look with her wife. Arizona wore a suspicious look and turned her attention back to Lexie. The two women were keen to learn more about what Lexie had found out.

"Yeah!" the younger woman called with excitement. Initially, Lexie wasn't sure she should agree to Callie and Arizona's request. Though Riley's case had turned out to be quite interesting and Lexie was excited to see how it will develop. She went on and started explaining the tests she conducted on Riley.

"I've let Riley study a series of complex pictures for a period of about 20 seconds each, and she was able to recall minute details on a very precise level." Callie and Arizona nodded their heads and tried to follow Lexie's detailed descriptions.

"I've also gave her other visual tests where she had to study one picture and then superimpose it on top of another one, and then tell me what the resulting image was", Lexie added.

"Okay…" Callie said with a slightly pressing tone. She wished Lexie would get to the point already.

"Apart from enhanced visual recollection, there was something else I've spotted"

Arizona's forehead wrinkled with confusion, "And what is that?"

"Did you guys ever notice Riley was really drawn to numbers?" Lexie asked them.

Callie and Arizona shared another look. "She's good at math…but I don't know about "drawn"…" Arizona answered.

"It might be more than just good math skills. From what I observed, Riley is almost…_obsessed_…with anything related to numbers. Such things as dates, percentages and statistics" Lexie explained.

"I thought she was just a little nerdy" Callie confessed. Arizona gave her a disapproving look and the brunette returned with a smile. The kid was watching the history channel and reading medical journals for _fun_, what was Callie supposed to think?

"Besides, "obsessed" is a strong word Lexie –" Arizona added.

"You guys, I'm pointing this out as a good thing. From what I've see, Riley is able to recall on specific dates, even ones that happened years ago, in exact detail"

"And what does that mean?" Callie asked. She was hoping Lexie will clear some of their thoughts, not make everything even more confusing.

"Here, check this out. Riley?"

"Yeah?" the kid turned her head to the sound of Lexie's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Can you tell me what you ate for lunch exactly three months ago from today?"

"Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich" the girl answered simply and turned her attention back to the TV.

"Lexie that's not very exceptional. We pack her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch almost every day" Callie hissed.

"Yeah she could have guessed that…" Arizona said skeptically.

"Okay, how about this. Riley, what day of the week was the 15th of March 2007?"

"Thursday" Riley answered. This time she kept her gaze to the TV, not even bothering to turn her head towards the three women.

Arizona pulled out her cell phone and searched for the date on her calendar. "She's right" the blond stated with disbelief. Lexie asked for a specific date set over 6 years ago. "How could she know that?"

"She was about five years old at that time" Callie pointed out; she was in shock too.

"Riley come over here for a sec" Arizona urged.

The girl got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen as she was asked. Mark's attention was pulled from the TV when he finally noticed the growing chatter. He lowered the volume on TV and followed Riley to the kitchen. "What is going on?" he asked.

"What day of the week was the 24th of January, 2009?" Arizona asked randomly. She had to witness Riley's reaction one more time.

"It was a Saturday" Riley answered quickly; she didn't even need a moment to think about it.

"What the - ?" Mark caught up to everyone's shock.

Callie gasped, "Riley how do you know that?"

"Uh...I don't know" Riley was suddenly feeling self – conscious from everybody's stares. She didn't seem to grasp what the big deal was.

"Sweetie when you think of a certain date, does it just pop in your head? or can you actually picture something related to it?" Lexie asked thoughtfully.

Riley took a moment to think about Lexie's question. "Sometimes it would just pop in my head. But in other times, I can picture the calendar or even things that I did on that day which remind me of it"

"Do you remember what was the date on the day you met Callie and Arizona?" Lexie asked.

Riley nodded, "August 28th"

Lexie shared a smile with Callie and Arizona. She found Riley's abilities absolutely fascinating. As someone with photographic memory, Lexie was also able to memorize specific images and texts easily, even specific dates like Riley. But Riley was also able to recall on everything she did on that given date to the extent of the tiniest detail.

"What was the color of the shirt I wore on that day?" Callie challenged Riley.

"Purple"

"Well?" Arizona asked Callie. "Was it a purple shirt?"

"I don't know! It was 7 months ago, how can I remember!" Callie shouted, and everybody laughed.

"It was the dark purple shirt with the lilac stripes on the edges…" Riley described Callie's shirt more accurately. "Can we go back to the living room?"

"Sure, baby" Callie said; she could tell Riley was getting tired of all those questions.

"Mark! Are you coming?" Riley shouted from the living room.

"Yeah I'm just gonna grab us some soda" the man shouted back. "What just happened?"

"We think Riley might have photographic memory" Arizona explained.

"You can say that again…" Mark agreed and pulled two soda cans from the fridge.

"So what should we do now?" Callie turned her gaze back to Lexie.

"I think you guys should consider taking Riley to a psychologist for a proper examination"

* * *

Mark, Riley, Cristina and Alex were sitting in the attendings' lounge in the hospital. The three doctors sat on the sofa and Riley sat on a chair just in front of them. Mark sat in the middle, each resident on one of his sides, and he had a computer on his lap with a picture of the periodic table; which he let Riley study for a few minutes. He was now going to test her on it, as to show Alex and Cristina the extent of her incredible abilities.

"Okay, you ready?" the man asked. Riley was facing the back of the computer so there was no way she could peek. The girl relied only on her memory.

"Yeah!" Riley said impatiently. Honestly, Riley didn't like it when everyone around her kept asking all these random questions. She always got them right of course, but it was kind of annoying. And she didn't like all of that extra attention; it made her feel like she was constantly on the spot. But everybody was so excited about her "gift" so she couldn't say no. She wanted to make Callie and Arizona proud, and if that meant she had to answer a bunch of meaningless questions, she would so.

Though there was one thing that made Riley a bit worried. She wondered how much exactly did Callie and Arizona care about her "gift". Did it make her more likeable? Were the two going to keep her around because they found out she was really smart? Was she worthy enough now? Riley loved Callie and Arizona, and she didn't want her relationship with them to change. So even though she didn't want to go to an appointment with the psychologist today, so she could get tested, Riley still agreed because she knew Callie and Arizona wanted her to go. And she would do anything to make them happy.

"You sure?" Mark teased.

"Yes! just ask me something already!" Riley shouted angrily.

"Okay, okay…" the man looked at the picture of the periodic table on his computer and picked an element."What element has the atomic number 6?"

"Carbon" the girl answered with no apparent effort.

"Please that's easy, even I know that…pick a harder one" Cristina urged him.

"Fine. Which element has the atomic number 79?"

"Gold"

"What about 82?" Alex tried to test the girl as well.

"Lead"

"37?"

"Rubidium"

"25?" Cristina asked randomly.

"Manganese"

"Gosh that's amazing!" Cristina said with excitement. She knelt down in front of the girl and put her hands over Riley's shoulders. "Riley, do you understand how brilliant you are? Do you know what this means?" Cristina got up and started pacing around the room. "I mean the possibilities, the things you could do!" the resident kept rambling. She was clearly stunned by Riley's exceptional abilities.

"Who knew you'd turn out to be a freaking genius" Alex teased. Riley smiled at him; she knew he was joking of course. She was happy for Alex's comment, finally someone with a normal reaction who didn't go into full shock just because she was able to memorize all 117 elements in less than a minute.

Mark punched Alex in the ribs; He didn't find Alex's comment funny. No one was going to talk like that about his best friend's kid. Just as Mark was about to look for another challenge for Riley, Callie and Arizona entered the room.

"Monkey come on, we gotta go see Dr. Parker" Arizona said.

Riley got up from her seat unwillingly; she had an irritated expression on her face and her lips pouted.

"Aww, but monkey you're going to have so much fun!" Arizona tried to brighten the kid's mood when she noticed her expression.

"Yeah! And Dr. Parker is really nice, right you guys?" Callie asked her friends, gesturing them to say something positive.

"Yeah Dr. Parker is a good guy" Mark said, probably overenthusiastically because Riley didn't seem to buy it.

"He's a cool dude" Alex added.

"I don't know him…" Cristina admitted. "Oh but I'm sure he's nice" the young woman corrected herself when she noticed Callie's scolding look.

"Fine" the girl muttered and followed Callie and Arizona to Dr. Parker's office.

* * *

Arizona and Callie left Riley with Dr. Parker for a couple of hours, so the psychologist could do an initial examination. They now entered his office, to hear what he had to say about Riley's "condition".

"Riley, how about you go meet Mark in the cafeteria?" Callie suggested. The kid was already uneasy and tired, and she didn't have the patience to sit at the doctor's office for another hour. Callie handed Riley some money. "Here, go buy yourself some ice cream or something, we'll see you in a bit okay?"

Riley accepted Callie's money and left the room quickly. She definitely needed something sugary after that tiresome examination.

"Sorry about that, she's just a little tired", Arizona apologized. "Everything has been really overwhelming in the past few days."

"No it's fine. She's a great kid" the man reassured them. Dr. Parker was a middle aged man and he worked in the hospital as well.

"So, do you think she has photographic memory?" Callie asked as she and Arizona sat in front of Dr. Parker's desk.

"Well, the correct term is eidetic memory" Dr. Parker corrected her.

"Okay…" Callie mouthed.

"People who possess this ability are able to memorize images, objects and texts with extreme accuracy. But the level of accuracy varies from one person to the other. I've had patients who relied mostly on visual recollection and I also had patients, like Riley, who rely on other sensory information which can enhance their abilities." Dr. Parker paused for a moment, as to check whether Arizona and Callie still followed him.

"Riley's case is particularly exceptional, because not only does she have perfect visual recollection but she also uses sensory information to recall on specific dates and autobiographical memories. I've never seen anything like this with a patient this young." The psychologist admitted.

"And what does that mean exactly?" Arizona questioned while sharing a confused look with her wife.

"Riley can remember every single day of her life"

Callie and Arizona looked at each other with disbelief. It sounded like the things Dr. Parker described were pulled out of a science fiction movie.

"Well – almost every single day of her life. I believe Riley's earliest memories are from the time she was about three or four years old." The psychologist chose a less dramatic explanation this time.

"There is a similar syndrome called Hyperthymesia. People who have it possess exceptional personal memory recall. Though this condition is very rare and it doesn't really follow Riley's pattern." Dr. Parker summed up.

"Umm uh…" the brunette stuttered. Arizona and her didn't really know what to say. They were hoping Riley had Photographic memory, but this is a whole other level.

"Riley's case is extremely intriguing and if you guys are interested I would definitely like to further investigate her abilities"

Callie looked at her wife, who nodded in agreement. "umm yeah sure, we would like that"

"Are you guys okay?" the man asked after hinting on Callie and Arizona's apparent confusion.

"Yeah we're just… a little shocked" Arizona admitted.

"A little?" Callie asked sarcastically.

"When did you guys noticed Riley has good memory?"

"Umm… Riley is our foster kid. She's been living with us for the past 7 months - "Arizona started explaining.

"We're planning on adopting her" Callie interrupted.

"Yeah so we just thought she was being curious. Especially because she never received proper education and all of the sudden she had access to all these information…"

"Honestly doctor, we didn't think much of it…" Callie confessed.

"I see" the man nodded with understanding.

"Doctor, what exactly does "further investigation" entail?" Arizona asked.

"Well it's going to be a long process. But I'd like to give Riley other exams, like IQ tests, visual – motor function tests, etc…"

Arizona shook her head, "Why the IQ test?"

"Well, there is a direct correlation between enhanced memory skills and high intelligence. Is Riley doing well in school?"

"Yeah, she caught up with everyone really quickly…she's in the top of her class now"

"And has she ever been bored in class? Had she ever felt like she wasn't challenged enough?"

Arizona nodded, "Maybe yeah…you could say that"

"She reads a lot of articles online too…like academic material, some pretty heavy stuff…" Callie added. She always thought it was a bit odd. The kid would be laughing loudly at some stupid cartoon and then participate in a heated argument over the financial crisis.

"Okay well we should definitely look into it. We'll have a better idea of Riley's abilities after I complete the tests"

* * *

Later that night, Callie and Arizona were getting ready for bed while Riley was sleeping soundly in her room.

"Geez, what a day…" Callie huffed as she unfolded the bed covers.

"Um hmm" Arizona agreed and hopped on the bed. "Callie?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

Callie's forehead creased, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I just…I don't know if testing Riley is the best decision…" Arizona admitted with hesitation.

"And why is that?"

"All those neurological tests, IQ tests…they could get pretty tedious and besides she's just a kid and –"

"Yeah but we're doing this for her. I mean if she really is a genius or something, don't you think we should know?" Callie pointed out.

"I guess…" Arizona whispered.

"Don't worry it's for her own good. I think that, after we get those tests results we would know our options and then we could give Riley the best circumstances. And she deserves to have the best….especially considering how she was brought into this world"

"No, you're right…" the blond agreed. She never meant to question whether they had Riley's best interests in mind; it's just that the thought of them forcing Riley to take all of those tests like…a lab monkey…Arizona just feared it would be too much for Riley to handle. The girl was finally living like a normal kid…she needed stability and that whole genius "thing" was really overwhelming.

Arizona cuddled next to Callie; she rested her head on Callie's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her wife.

Callie played with Arizona's hair soothingly and rested her chin on her wife's head. "What are you thinking about?" she asked after a few silent moments.

Arizona pulled away from Callie, so she could look at her. "Just about what Dr. Parker said. You know… that Riley can remember _everything_…"

Callie chuckled faintly. "Yeah that's pretty creepy…"

"No it just makes me wonder….maybe that's why she doesn't like talking about what happened to her" Arizona suggested.

"What do you mean?", Callie asked with confusion.

"Think about it Callie. Do you like talking about the crappy things that happened to you?"

"No, but – "

"Exactly. Now imagine you would have to relive those bad moments everyday for the rest of your life" the blond explained.

"Yeah, I guess I see your point"

"I mean just think about the things she's been through. She was abandoned, physically abused and mistreated…she lost her brother" Arizona paused and sighed. "Tim died over ten years ago and I still have a hard time getting over it. I guess I just…I feel bad for her, You know?"

Callie looked at her wife, she cupped her cheeks and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Callie could see Arizona felt Riley's pain at that moment. And Arizona was right. If Riley really did remember everything in such a precise and detailed way, what kind of a life is she going to have? Forgetting is kind of like a coping mechanism; so we won't have to remember every single excruciating detail of our lives. But then again, Riley doesn't have that.

"Callie" Arizona whispered. "_Riley never forgets_"


	16. Chapter 16

**Just wanted to warn everyone that this chapter had turned out mushier then expected…it's a bit too cheesy for my taste but I guess it had to be done.**

**As always, thanks for reading!**

* * *

"Okay" Callie sighed and held her wife's hands in hers. "So we're going to tell her now?" the two were sitting face to face on their bed.

"Yeah, I guess" Arizona nodded. "There isn't really a point in waiting any longer"

A huge grin formed on both of their faces as they contemplated on how they were going to reveal the good news to Riley. Prior to that conversation, the two had received a phone call from Jane, their social worker. Jane told them the agency had forwarded their recommendation of approval to court; which meant Callie and Arizona were now one step away from finalizing Riley's adoption. Well, two steps away if you count actually telling Riley about their intentions.

Even though the two doctors had been working hard for months on the adoption process, they hadn't told Riley about it. They knew the girl was put in similar situations before and something always got messed up along the way and Riley was left on her own again. So Callie and Arizona decided to wait until everything was ready before getting Riley's hopes up. And now, after the girl had been living with them for almost 8 months, all that there was left to do was schedule a court hearing where a judge will officially order Callie and Arizona to be Riley's moms.

"Okay then, here we go" Callie and Arizona shared a light kiss, got up from the bed and walked to the living room.

Riley was staring blankly at the TV screen; she was playing some sort of a shooting video game and was completely oblivious to the fact that Callie and Arizona entered the living room.

"Umm, Riley sweetie would you put the game on hold of a minute? Callie and I would like to speak with you" Arizona said.

Riley rolled her eyes and huffed with annoyance. Didn't Callie and Arizona see she was in the middle of an important game? _This better be worth it_, she thought to herself.

Arizona and Callie sat on the couch in front of Riley. The girl noticed the two women were quiet edgy. Callie wore a hesitant look and Arizona was tapping her foot rapidly on the floor. _Why are they so nervous?,_ Riley asked herself. She had never seen Callie and Arizona act nervously before. It was a nice change, as Riley was the nervous one usually.

"Umm uh.." Callie stuttered. She turned her head to look at Arizona, put her hands on her lap and sighed. "I don't really know how to start"

Arizona chuckled and held her wife's hand. She was naturally nervous too but decided to try and say something before they would worry Riley. "Monkey, you know how we've been having so much fun for the past few months?"

"Yeah…" the girl cautiously agreed.

"Well, umm…Callie and I" Arizona paused and shared a look with Callie. She noticed her wife was getting a little emotional; Arizona could feel the tears building up in her throat as well. "Um…we really enjoy spending time with you…"

Riley just nodded and kept looking at Callie and Arizona. Her forehead creased with confusion, _what the hell is going on?_ She thought to herself. Callie and Arizona were this crying mess…the whole situation was starting to freak her out.

"Oh God…" Callie murmured. She got up to get some tissues from the kitchen, she was now completely crying her eyes out. It was so embarrassing; crying like that was usually Arizona's thing.

Arizona chuckled when Callie handed her a piece of tissue paper as well. "Honey what I'm trying to say is that, for the past 8 months Callie and I had been working on making sure you would stay with us…umm forever. And a few minutes ago, we got a call from Jane – "

"You remember Jane, the social worker?" Callie was finally able to pull herself together and form a sentence.

Riley nodded her head again. Honestly she couldn't care less about whoever that Jane was. Riley was too eager to hear what Arizona had to say; the suspense was making her crazy and she wished Arizona and Callie would just spit it out.

"Yeah so Jane called to tell us that the agency gave us a recommendation which means they're going to let us adopt you" Arizona finally revealed.

The two women stared at Riley; they waited for her to say something - anything, yet the girl remained silent.

"So next month, we're all going to court for a hearing and then the judge will officially make you our _daughter_" Arizona clarified, just in case Riley didn't fully understand what they were saying.

"Oh…" the girl said.

Arizona and Callie gave Riley another moment to "digest" the good news. They kept looking for some sort of a signal from her though the girl's facial expression was unreadable.

Unlike Callie and Arizona, Riley seemed to be handling the situation very well; almost too well actually. She wasn't surprised or shocked. She didn't even look exceptionally happy or excited; she was just like her normal self.

"Riley do you have any questions?" Callie asked. Well surly the girl had something to say! Callie and Arizona had just announced they were going to adopt her…and within a month! Those were incredible news.

"Nope" the girl replied simply.

"Well umm…How do you feel? About us adopting you?" Arizona desperately tried to make Riley talk.

"I'm cool with it"

Callie shot Arizona with a look. "You're…_cool_ with it?" she repeated the girl's words with slight irritation. Callie and Arizona were getting a little offended. They knew Riley wasn't exactly the jumping up and down from excitement kind, but they have been through so much in the past 8 months and it really felt like they were a family now. Or at least it felt like that to Callie and Arizona.

"Yeah I mean whatever" Riley said nonchalantly. "Can I go back to the game now?"

"What you – "

"Sure sweetie!" Arizona interrupted her wife. She then grabbed Callie's arm and pulled her to the kitchen so they could talk privately.

"I'm sorry but I'm a little hurt…" the brunette hissed.

"Don't worry about it, you know how she gets. She pretends she's all cool and tough at first and then she warms up to the idea"

"Yeah, but didn't you expect her to be just a little more…I don't know…"

"Girly? Giggly? Smiley?"

"Yeah!", Callie shouted! Was it really too much to ask?

"Please Calliope. You know that's not Riley", Arizona pointed out.

"Right…she's a tough one isn't she?"

Arizona laughed. "Just like her mom" she nudged Callie's shoulder playfully.

"And her mama too" Callie teased in return.

* * *

Later that night, Riley lay in bed and was unable to sleep. She lay on her back with her head resting against the pillow. She was holding the picture of her and Andrew in one hand and stroking it with the other.

Riley knew she was supposed to be happy. Finally, after years of being abused, scorned and mistreated, good things were happening to her. The past 8 months were the happiest times of Riley's life and Callie and Arizona were undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to her.

She had a stable home with two loving moms. She was doing well in school, she was making friends…she was the lead player of the school's soccer team. And for the first time, Riley had a real family too. She had her "uncle" Mark who took her to the movies and showed her how to play baseball. She had Lexie, Cristina and Alex who snuck her into surgeries and let her play with fun medical stuff. They may not be the perfect family, but Riley knew they were the perfect family for her.

But even though Riley knew she was supposed to be happy – she couldn't. There was still one thing missing. And Riley knew exactly what it was.

It was Andrew.

How could Riley enjoy her new life without him? Especially while knowing that Andrew deserved a chance at a better life too.

But Andrew was dead.

And what was Riley supposed to do now? Pretended like she didn't have a brother? Act as if everything is okay now because she was rescued by two doctors who completely changed her life?

Riley honestly considered Callie and Arizona to be her family. She loved them as if they were her real moms. But they couldn't replace Andrew. No one could every replace the void that Andrew left when he died.

Riley sat up and sighed. She put the picture back on the nightstand. Andrew died nearly two years ago, but Riley remembered everything; every painful detail.

Ever since they were little kids, Andrew and Riley were inseparable; they were everything for each other. Andrew was six years older than Riley, and he was the best older brother too. He always took care of her, made sure she was safe. But then everything changed.

Andrew was a difficult kid. He often got into trouble with the police for minor penalties. Things got so bad, that the siblings got kicked out of their foster home….and more than once. As a result, foster services decided to separate the siblings. Naturally, Andrew didn't agree with the decision and so he left foster care of a life on the streets. And for the first time Riley was left completely on her own.

_I'll come back for you, _Andrew's last words haunted Riley's mind. The boy never lived up to that promise. And six months later, Andrew got shot. He was found dead on the cold street ground.

Riley closed her eyes. Not only did she lose her brother, but she lost her best friend too; the only relative she was in touch with, the only person she could trust.

All of Riley's dreams were coming true. But what about Andrew? What about the dreams he had?

* * *

The next morning, Riley walked to the kitchen where Callie and Arizona where already making breakfast and drinking coffee.

"Good morning sweetheart" Arizona greeted Riley. She handed her a bowl of cereal and kissed her on the forehead.

"Good morning" Riley mumbled as she took her seat. She stared vacantly at her cereal…too nauseated to eat.

"Honey is everything okay?" Callie asked with concern. The girl wasn't touching her food…she was just stirring the cereal with her spoon.

Riley just nodded her head.

Arizona and Callie exchanged worried looks. Riley was usually a lot more chatty in the mornings. Though that morning, she looked kinda gloomy and distracted. Her eyes were swollen with exhaustion and her gaze was fixated downwards. Her expression was cold and petrified and her whole body movement was rigid and robotic.

"Riley go get you bag" Arizona called for Riley's attention after the three finished eating breakfast in silence.

Riley's head snapped to the sound of Arizona's voice. She got up and walked to her room to get her bagpack, like she was told.

As she grabbed her school stuff, Riley glanced to the picture of her and Andrew that was situated on her nightstand. She knew what she had to do.

"Ready for school?" Arizona asked when Riley entered the living room, her school bag resting on her shoulder.

"Umm..." Riley exhaled heavily. "I need to go somewhere"

* * *

Callie was tapping her fingers on the car's wheel rapidly. She glanced through the car's window and rolled her eyes with frustration. "Well, this isn't creepy at all…" she said sarcastically.

The two were waiting in the car, just outside Evergreen Cemetery. What a way to start off their morning! Arizona and Callie could tell that Riley was upset earlier that day; however when she asked if they could take her to the cemetery, to visit Andrew's grave, the two were taken by surprise.

Arizona snorted. She sat next to Callie in the front car seat and played a game on her phone to pass the time. "Well what were we supposed to do?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe we should have said – _no, Riley we can't go to the freaking graveyard!_" the brunette ranted loudly.

Arizona shot Callie with a look. "Callie, she was upset. We couldn't say no"

Callie huffed and rested her head against the car seat. That was true – they couldn't say no. They could never say no to Riley. But still, it was weird!

"You know, you're surprisingly okay with everything…" Callie pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Arizona asked, her gaze still invested in her phone.

"It's like you don't seem to mind we're in the middle of a cemetery!"

Arizona lifted her head and gave Callie a confused look. "What is there to mind?"

"Arizona, she's an 11 year old girl! She should be asking to go to the mall…not the cemetery!" Callie yelled. Yesterday they told Riley about their intention to adopt her, and today the girl asks to go to the graveyard. How was Arizona not seeing this?

"I think you're overreacting Calliope" Arizona stated with a slightly patronizing tone.

Callie sighed again and started counting to ten in her head. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing in order to clam herself down. She was not going to pick a fight with Arizona. She was not going to pick a fight with Arizona. She was not going to pick a fight with Arizona.

"Do you think she's not happy about the adoption?" Callie asked once she cooled off. She was really looking forward to tell Riley the good news; in fact, for months Callie had been picturing Riley's reaction in her mind. And it was nothing like yesterday's reaction at all. It's not like she imagined Riley would throw herself into their arms dramatically….but a little smile would have been enough.

"Callie" Arizona rested her hand over her wife's arm protectively. "Of course Riley's happy we're adopting her!" the blond added reassuringly. She had to admit it though - it was kinda cute to see Callie get all nervous and self conscious. Callie was…well, Callie was super mom. She was always so put together and under control, usually Arizona was the panicky one when it comes to parenting Riley. However today, it seemed like the roles were reversed.

"Then why is she being like this…" the brunette asked, almost desperately.

"I think she's just sad Andrew couldn't be here…with us…that's all" Arizona explained, she then leaned over and gave Callie a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it…"

Callie nodded her head with agreement. She understood what Arizona was saying, and it actually made sense. Callie was so invested with the adoption and how the three of them were officially becoming a family that she completely forgot about Riley's brother. She could only imagine what the little girl was going though.

"What do you think she's doing there?" Callie asked. Riley insisted that the two women would wait for her in the car and leave her alone for a while.

"Probably talking to him"

"You mean his tombstone?" Callie corrected her and Arizona just shook her head with objection. This passive – aggressive enthusiasm was starting to get on Arizona's nerves.

"Fine" Callie muttered. Arizona was right, she was being a little mean. It just that for the first time since Riley entered their lives, Callie was at a loss; she had no idea what to do. All she could do was stand by Riley's side and try and give her as much support as possible. Callie had never lost a sibling or a close family member, she couldn't really relate to what Riley was going through. But Arizona could…

An idea popped in Callie's head.

"Arizona?"

"Mmmm?" the blond mumbled. She was still playing that stupid game on her phone.

"I think you should go talk to Riley"

Arizona turned her head up and looked at her wife."What? Why me?"

"Arizona, you know why" Callie pointed out.

"No Callie – "

"Come on go talk to her" Callie stopped her wife before she began to object. "She needs you".

And with those three last words – Arizona was sold. Callie knew Arizona loved Riley unconditionally and of course she was willing to help their girl. But apart from that, Callie thought this was an opportunity for Arizona and Riley to bond on a deeper level. The both of them lost their older brothers, and that created a connection between them that Callie couldn't even begin to understand.

"Here" Callie said as she pulled out the car keys out of the ignition switch; she then handed them to Arizona. "I'm leaving the car with you"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a cab back to the hospital, I have a surgery in a couple of hours"

"Callie – "

Callie rested her hands over Arizona's shoulders. "Don't worry, you'll be fine!" she then kissed her wife on the cheek. "Call me when you're on your way back!"

* * *

"Hey…" Riley took a seat on the soft grass, just next to her brother's headstone."Look I know I haven't been here in a while…but I just wanted to talk, okay?" Riley paused, as if she waited for Andrew to actually reply.

Riley breathed profoundly. She studied the black letters placed on the grey stone and brushed her hand across the cold surface. "So…a lot has changed since the last time I was here…"

"Umm…" the girl took another moment as she thought of how to phrase what needed to be said. She lowered her view and played with the grass hesitantly. "I have a new home now" Riley turned her head up, as if she was looking Andrew straight in the eyes. "But it's actually pretty great and um…I got my own room and everything…"

"I had to start a new school. It sucked at first but I'm really liking it now…and I've met some really nice people" Riley sighed again; she was rambling off for a bit. "I also joined the soccer team!"

"Well I'm not as good as you…but I'm not that bad either…" Riley chuckled modestly. Really the only reason Riley was into soccer to begin with was because of Andrew. The boy was a phenomenal player, and he had taught his little sister everything there is to know about the game.

"I scored two goals on our last game! Couch Peterson said that she might make me team captain next year…" Riley may not be as good of a soccer player as Andrew was, but she was definitely way above the other players on the team. "Anyway the school year will be over in a week…so I'm excited for summer break. Callie and Arizona –"

Riley stopped herself. That was the moment she dreaded. How was she going to explain this situation to Andrew? And how was he going to react?

Riley was just a toddler when their mom sent them to foster care. She had a vague memory of how the woman looked like but that was pretty much it. However, Andrew was an 8 year old kid and he was more aware of their surroundings. The abandonment had hurt him deeply and it was one of the reasons for his trust issues and reckless behavior. It was also one of the reasons for the boy's resentment towards Adults. Riley knew Andrew wouldn't approve of her new family.

"Uh, Callie and Arizona are my foster moms" Riley finally explained. "But they won't be for too long…"

Riley lowered her view again. She could already hear Andrew's booming voice in her head, daring her to trust the two women and get her hopes up for nothing. "They're going to adopt me" Riley whispered. She could feel the knots forming in her stomach; both from excitement and from fear.

"Andrew you would have loved them! They're doctors…well, surgeons actually and uh…they're really nice, like really _really_ nice and…" Riley paused again; she got a little caught up with all the excitement.

"And they love me…and I love them too…" Riley added with a quavering voice; she obviously loved Callie and Arizona, though she never fully admitted it to someone else but herself.

"I knew you wouldn't like it, but it's different this time…" she could imagine Andrew's raging words, telling her that she was dumb and naïve, asking her how could she trust two complete strangers…

"No! You're wrong!" Riley shouted back. She then stood up and clenched her fists angrily."Look you can't tell me what to do anymore!"

Hot flashes of anger streamed through Riley's body. Her eyebrows creased with fury and her lips pouted. She should have probably stopped herself from yelling at Andrew…well Andrew's grave, right there and then but the sudden burst of anger took the best of her. She must have looked like a crazy person, shouting in the middle of a cemetery for no apparent reason; though Riley didn't really mind.

"And you know why?" Riley asked rhetorically. Her voice was harsh and tears were falling down her face. "Because you're dead!" the girl yelled. "You heard what I said? You're dead!"

Riley turned her gaze away. She felt frustrated…and scared…and sad. It was exactly in times like this, that she needed Andrew the most. She missed him…so very much.

"You left me! You left me all alone, so you don't get to tell me what to do anymore!" The girl dropped on her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"It's not fair!" the girl shouted with a heartbreaking cry.

And it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Andrew was dead and lying in the cold hard ground. It wasn't fair that Riley, who was only 11 years old, had already lost her brother – the person she was the closest too. And it wasn't fair that when Riley needed to talk to her brother, she had to "talk" to his tombstone instead.

Riley wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a big breath. "I didn't mean to shout…" she finally said after a long pause; her voice calmer this time.

"But I uh…I need you to be happy for me" she almost pleaded. "So I could be happy about this thing too…"

"Andrew, this is the best things that ever happened to me since you…since you died" Riley admitted. "So just be happy for me, okay?"

Riley was about to continue her "conversation" with Andrew when she felt a shadow casting behind her. The girl turned around, and noticed Arizona standing there with a smile on her face.

Riley turned her head back to Andrew's tombstone. She felt a bit embarrassed; how long did Arizona stand there? How much of the conversation has she heard?

"You know, I used to do the same thing when Timothy died…" the blond woman said. She took a seat next to Riley; yet she didn't sit too close, so they won't touch each other. Arizona knew Riley too well by then, and she respected the girl's need for space and privacy. But they were going to talk about it; whether Riley wished for that or not; and whether Arizona was mentally ready for that or not.

"Really?" Riley asked with surprise. She noticed Arizona wore a comforting expression and not a judgmental one at all. It made Riley feel a bit better; at least Arizona didn't think she was crazy.

"Yeah…" the blond nodded."I still talk to him every now and then…" Arizona admitted and looked away for a brief second. "Sometimes, I just need a moment with my brother…" she added while turning her eyes back to Riley.

The two just sat there, staring at each other in silence. It looked like Riley was testing Arizona. The girl's grey eyes were red and puffy from her previous sobbing but she wore the coldest glare, which was sent as a message to Arizona, signaling her that she was not welcome.

However, Arizona did not back away. She continued to make eye contact with the girl; her famous super magic smile never leaving her dimpled face. Arizona's baby blue eyes glistened with compassion and understanding. Her voice projected nothing but warmth and love.

Riley studied Arizona's face closely and after a long silent pause, her face finally softened. She wanted to be alone, but she knew Arizona wasn't going anywhere – she had to accept it. Riley had never met someone who could identify with her feelings before. But at that moment Riley understood that Arizona knew what she was going through.

Arizona breathed heavily. Much like Riley, talking about painful experiences wasn't Arizona's comfort zone. And so the blond woman took a moment to weigh her words.

"Riley…", Arizona cleared her throat. "It's okay to miss your brother. And it's okay to think about him. It's okay to think about all the great memories and fun times you spent together…"

Arizona scooted closer to Riley; though she still didn't touch her. "But you shouldn't feel bad because good things are happening to you while Andrew's gone" Arizona paused. She hoped Riley would look at her. She needed to see what the little girl was feeling; what was going through her mind. "Andrew would have wanted you to be happy, right?"

Arizona sighed again. She didn't like talking about Tim just as much as Riley didn't like to talk about Andrew. But at least they would dislike talking about it together.

"I was in my last year of med school when Tim died" Arizona recalled on the moment she found out her older brother was killed, nearly ten years ago. "And I thought that my life was over…" she confessed.

"Tim was my best friend… I didn't think I could be happy again without him…" A sad smile formed on Arizona's face. She had never told this to anyone; not to her parents…not even to Callie. "Even when I graduated, even when I got into Hopkins…I still wasn't able to enjoy that"

"Then what did you do?" Riley whispered. She finally lifted her head up and looked at Arizona.

Arizona smiled; she held the girl's hand in hers, as she sensed that touching was now acceptable, and continued her story. "Well, not too much really. It took me some time, but eventually I understood that I had to continue and live my life…even if Tim wasn't here" Arizona's voice nearly broke on the last part.

Arizona questioned the reason behind her uncharacteristic confession. She was never able to talk like that about Tim. But then again, she shouldn't really be surprised. Callie and Arizona already knew that Riley had some sort of magical powers over them.

"It's like I decided to live for the both of us" Arizona added. She quickly wiped the corners of her eyes before the tears would escape them. It was kinda absurd, but she didn't want Riley to see her cry.

"And till this day, whenever good things happen to me" Arizona softly lifted Riley's chin with her hand, so she could look into her eyes while saying the following sentence, "like when Callie and I got married, or when we found out we were granted to adopt you, the first thing that always pops in my head, is what would Tim have said"

"But I know, he's happy for me and I know he's watching me from…well from wherever you want it to be" Arizona's words made Riley laugh.

The blond woman tilted her head and smiled. She then cupped Riley's face and wiped her tears with her thumbs. "The important thing is to remember that Andrew will always be in your heart"

Riley nodded her head with understanding. She then scooted closer to Arizona and gave her a tight hug. Arizona's jaw dropped - Riley was not a hugger!

The blond quickly recovered from her shock and pulled her arms around the little girl securely. Riley rested her head against Arizona's chest and the two sighed simultaneously. The two remained in that same loving state for a couple more minutes before Arizona checked the time on her phone. It was nearly noon.

"Come on Monkey, let's go home" Arizona brushed Riley's hair gently behind her ears.

Riley shook her head. "No, I want to go to school"

Arizona laughed and pulled Riley a bit tighter; The two then got up and walked towards the car.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everyone! This chapter is all Riley and Cristina. I know you guys would prefer to see more of Callie and Arizona's relationship with Riley, but I like to explore Riley's relationship with other characters from the show too. And I actually really like her relationship with Cristina. We've seen some of it in earlier chapters and I decided to show a little more...**

**I basically finished writing the story, there is still some editing to do but I expect quick updates from now on.**

**As always, thanks for reading!**

* * *

Riley sat next to Cristina, in one of the hospital's skills lab. The resident was practicing complex sutures on a dead pig for an upcoming surgery while the girl watched her with awe. Most kids would prefer to spend their summer break playing outside - but not Riley. The girl preferred to spend her free time in the hospital, watching advanced medical procedures and scientific breakthroughs.

Callie and Arizona tried to keep her away from coming to the hospital so often; it wasn't an appropriate place for a little girl. But Riley was a clever kid and she often snuck into the hospital without her moms noticing…not to mention that Callie and Arizona's friends/coworkers hid her from them, in times of need. Eventually the two women gave up the chase; at least that way they could keep an eye on Riley and make sure she was out of trouble. And spending time in the hospital, where the girl was constantly learning new things, was a much preferred activity to watching crappy TV shows and eating junk food all day long.

That morning however, Callie and Arizona were in surgery and so Riley decided to pay Cristina a quick visit in the skills lab. It was no secret that Cristina Yang was notorious for her detestation towards children; and she didn't try to hide it either. But the ambitious resident didn't seem to mind spending time with Riley as much as she did with other kids. Maybe it was because Cristina was friends with Riley's moms, maybe it was because Riley was oddly mature for her age…but it was most definitely for the little girl's love for medicine and surgery in particular. Callie and Arizona feared to admit it, but Riley was like a young Cristina, .only nicer and less inappropriate. Riley had the same drive and aspiration Cristina projected; she had her seriousness and passion. They made a cute couple.

Cristina had identified Riley's growing potential and so she had taken it upon herself to mentor the young girl; essentially shaping her into the surgeon she would become. Riley was over the moon about it, naturally. She adored Cristina and she loved spending time with her, she loved to just sit aside and watch Cristina operate or even just practice common sutures on a dead pig. And Cristina had to admit, she loved the attention. She often thought that not enough people admired her brilliance the way Riley did.

"Let's see…what's a pulmonary edema?" Cristina was quizzing Riley over common medical terms, as she often did when the two spent time together. Her gaze was still invested in the dead animal while concentrating on her suturing skills.

"It's when you have fluid accumulation in the lungs" Riley answered in a flash.

"Correct. What's a splenectomy?"

"Are you serious?" Riley's voice shot up with disbelief. She watched that procedure done so many times; Riley was pretty sure she could pull one off herself. It was a common procedure; any baby would know what a splenectomy is…well maybe not a baby, but a med student for sure.

Cristina lifted her head and gave Riley a confused look. "What? Too easy for you?"

"A splenectomy is the surgical removal of the spleen. Now will you ask something really hard this time?" Riley urged Cristina to step up her game; she could handle a challenge.

"Fine hot shot. What's a granuloma?" Cristina pulled yet another medical term from her sleeve.

"A tumor"

"Coronary Thrombosis?"

"Blood clot in the coronary artery of the heart, Jesus Cristina I watched you perform a coronary angioplasty a week ago!" Riley shouted with irritation. She was not a surgeon and she was only 11 years old, but Riley got to watch some pretty intense surgeries over the course of the last few months.

"Fine!" Cristina shouted back. Man, that kid had quite an attitude. "Do you know what a cardiac tamponade is?"

"Uh…" Riley stuttered blankly.

Cristina looked at her with a smirk. "Not so smart now are we?"

"No, I know what it is! It's when fluid accumulates in the pericardium. Right?" Riley asked with a smile; she knew she was right.

"Yep. You got it right" Cristina chuckled. How could she compete with Riley's exceptional memory skills? The kid was unbeatable. "Well that's enough for today…"

Riley walked over to grab a snack from her backpack. "Poor Piggy…" she whimpered after returning to her seat. She then handed Cristina half of her snickers bar.

"Well, he's already dead so…" Cristina pointed out with no apparent emotion. As far as she was concerned that pig was for medical use; it's not like it was a pet or anything. "Doesn't gross you out to eat next to it?" Cristina asked while taking another bite from the chocolaty perfection.

Riley's eyebrows creased with confusion."No…why?"

"Nothing…it's just a little twisted" Cristina didn't know many kids that would be okay with standing next to a dead pig, not to mention eating next to one. As a matter of fact, she didn't know many doctors that would be alright with it; The kid was being strangely impassive.

"You're eating next to it too…" Riley defended herself. "And I saw you eating lunch in the morgue before!"

"That's because I'm a surgeon! I'm used to being around, well bodies…" Cristina justified her actions. Sadly, doctors often found themselves surrounded my death; it was an inevitable part of the job.

"I don't mind it either…" Riley took another bite from the chocolate bar.

"So, are you excited for the court hearing?" Cristina and Riley didn't really talk about personal things; their relationship was strictly "professional". It was an unwritten law the two agreed upon, as neither one enjoyed talking about things with a personal nature. But Cristina decided to play nice an act like the "caring aunt" for a change. Riley's adoption was a pretty big deal, and everyone around the hospital made sure to congratulate Callie and Arizona for officially becoming new moms. But other than that, Cristina got really attached to the kid in the past few months (As expected, she never mentioned this to Owen…or Callie…or anyone; this thing could really wreck her reputation) and she was genuinely happy for Riley…and Callie and Arizona, of course.

"Yeah, I guess" the girl shrugged her shoulders with indifference.

Other than the fact that Cristina was a brilliant surgeon, one of the reasons Riley enjoyed spending time with her, was for the fact that the resident wasn't into "mushy" talks. Cristina was tough and badass…and she didn't want to talk about things…and share her feelings. It was easy for Riley to be around Cristina, it was comfortable. And besides for most of the time, Riley felt like Cristina didn't really care; and Riley was okay with that.

"What do you mean, _I guess_?" Cristina sensed Riley was underplaying it. The kid was obviously uncomfortable talking about the adoption; her body movement turned uneasy in an instant and she was avoiding eye contact. And on top of it she was trying to act all cool and certain.

Cristina wasn't the most sensitive person. And she often disregarded other people's feeling and opinions. And in other time, she simply didn't care. But for some strange reason, that both scared Cristina and intrigued her at the same time, she cared about Riley. And although Cristina wasn't experienced with kids, she knew Riley's reaction was odd. The kid was finally getting her dream family and in a week! She should be ecstatic and over the moon about it! She should be all smiley and giggly or whatever. Her moms were for sure, Callie and Arizona were on cloud nine; the goofy smiles never left their faces.

"What? I'm excited!" Riley tried to compensate for the lack of enthusiasm. But Cristina wasn't stupid and she didn't buy it. "Look, I just want to get over with it already" the girl confessed; she was hoping Cristina would drop it now.

Cristina sighed. She was not cut out for this thing, this being the cool aunt thing…whatever that may be. And now the kid was upset and she was supposed to say something encouraging and cheer her up but she didn't know how to do that and…

Cristina forced a smile, "Riley it's just a court hearing. The whole thing will be over in 20 minutes".

Riley looked at Cristina. The woman had a strange smile on her face and her voice was unnaturally compassionate. What the hell was going on?

"You don't need to be nervous" Cristina attempted to reassure the girl.

"I'm not nervous" Riley said dryly. She was not a baby and she was not scared and she didn't need any pep talk from anyone.

"What is it then?" Cristina was pushing it; and she knew it. The little voice in her head kept telling her to stop and let it go. Riley wasn't her responsibility. And if the kid was upset, Cristina should just casually let Arizona and Callie know so they could handle it; it was their kid after all.

But then Cristina started thinking about her own childhood. Her father died in a car accident when she was 9; he died before the paramedics even got there. Her mother… she soon remarried and moved on with her life. Cristina had no one to talk to. She was a perfect student, had straight A's…but that was it. She had no one to fool around with or do stupid things with; she had no cool aunt she could confide to. Things were different now, but as a kid, Cristina always wished she could have a person - _her person_, someone she could talk to about anything.

Riley looked at Cristina; She was studying her eyes and facial expression. All that Cristina was expressing was sympathy; her usually cynical look all gone. _Fine_, Riley thought to herself. If that's what Cristina wanted, they could talk…like girls. They could have a girl talk.

Riley sighed, "I am nervous. Okay?"

"What are you nervous about?" Cristina asked.

"I just –" Riley opened her mouth to say something but then regretted it. It was true, she was nervous and she was scared. But that didn't mean it was easy to admit it or talk about it.

"You're still waiting for this whole thing to blow up, huh?" Cristina guessed Riley's thought instinctively.

Riley just stared at Cristina for a short moment and then confessed, "Yeah…"

Things had never been easy for Riley, things had never been smooth. There was always an obstacle waiting for her; so much that the girl began to mentally prepare herself for it. Riley was so used to getting hurt and betrayed, that she forgot how to see the good in things. She forgot how to see the good in people.

That is until she met Callie and Arizona. The two showered her with unconditional love and respect and trust. They didn't owe her anything; all they had to do was fix her up when she arrived at the ER, 9 months ago, but that was it. They didn't have to take her home with them, they didn't have to buy her an Xbox and they didn't have to hug her and help her fall asleep after having a nightmare.

Riley was done. She was defeated. She had nothing else left in the world. Everything was taken from her. But then Callie and Arizona had entered her life, and everything changed. Riley had to learn how to talk and smile and laugh. She was learning to live, all over again.

And even as the months went by, Riley kept telling herself not to get attached. She kept expecting someone from child services to come by and take her away, she kept expecting Callie and Arizona would kick her out; but none of that happened.

In a week she was going to be officially Callie and Arizona's daughter. In a week she will officially have a family. And that thought frightened Riley to the core of her being.

Because things are never easy for Riley and things never work out for her. And she couldn't just accept the idea that in a week, she was going to be Riley Torres – Robbins.

It was too good to be true.

Riley didn't speak, but Cristina could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. The girl had a thoughtful look on her face, like she was trying to figure something out. It saddened Cristina to know that Riley was still insecure about the adoption. It just showed how deeply her abusive past affected her.

"Riley…" a mischievous smile formed on Cristina's face. "I'll bet you another snickers bar that everything will turn out fine. And in a week the whole thing will be over and you'll feel dumb for being so nervous" she added, as an attempt to lighten the mood. Maybe Cristina didn't handle the situation in the most sensitive way, but it was surly her best. Besides, she knew Riley and she knew the kid wouldn't like it, if she got all soft and gooey with her.

"Okay", Riley smiled back. Cristina was right; everything was going to be okay. Things were different this time and she should just let go of her melancholy and start looking forward to the bright future.

"Hey, you want to practice suturing on Mr. Pig?" Cristina asked. She didn't really want Riley to wreck her "patient" but she wanted to cheer the kid up. And suturing a dead pig would definitely do it.

"His name is Piggy…" the girl corrected her.

Cristina chuckled. "Oh, sorry. Would you like to practice sutures on Piggy?"

"Yeah!" the girl practically squealed with joy.

The two continued to make light conversation, as Cristina helped Riley perform some common sutures. Riley's suturing techniques weren't perfect, but they were still better than some interns and way above any other kids her age, obviously.

Riley turned her head and looked at her mentor. "Cristina?"

"Hmm?"

"You're my best friend, you know?" the girl lifted her head and looked at Cristina.

"What?" Cristina's face snapped. "No – I thought Mark is your best friend!"

"Mark is Callie's best friend…" Riley pointed out. And she loved Mark, but her relationship with him was different. He was the uncle, they played sports together and watched cartoons; Riley couldn't have a serious conversation with him.

"Well Meredith is mine…" the words automatically slipped from Cristina's mouth.

"Oh…" Riley's face saddened. She suddenly felt very stupid for telling Cristina she was her best friend. Cristina was a grown woman, not to mention a successful surgeon…she probably didn't want to be friends with a kid.

"But I mean, I guess Mer wouldn't mind if we would be best friends too…" Cristina attempted a quick recovery when she noticed Riley's disappointment. "It seems like we have more in common anyhow and besides you're dark and twisty like us…But don't tell your moms I said that!"

_Ugh_, Cristina groaned mentally. Who would have thought the infamous Dr. Cristina Yang was going to be best friends with an 11 year old girl. No one could know about this. No one. A smile formed on Cristina's face. The kid was kinda cute though; and she was already used to spending time with Riley. So maybe it won't turn out so bad.

"Okay…" Riley smiled.

And for the first time, Riley had a best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi everyone, after reading the reviews I realized this story needed more family interaction. I guess some of you were looking forward to more Callie, Arizona and Riley moments.**

**So this chapter is all sticky mushy gooey fluff. It's not really my thing but I hope you guys will like it. I know this chapter is pretty short, but I didn't plan it… It sort of came up.**

**Also next chapter is going to be a little dramatic (don't worry nothing too serious!) Callie and Arizona are going to find themselves in a difficult situation, so I wanted to give you a nice and light moment before all of that.**

**Didn't mean to be a tease, just wanted to clarify some things. Thank you so much for the reviews and for reading! I really appreciate it!**

* * *

"Say it!" Arizona ordered. She was lying in bed, her face just inches away from Riley's.

"No!", the girl laughed.

"Monkey if you won't say it then I'll have to tickle you until I get what I want", Arizona warned her.

Riley just grinned at Arizona and braced herself for the tickle fight that was about to come.

Arizona pulled Riley closer and began to tickle her with no mercy. The girl was squealing and laughing uncontrollably, she could barely breathe.

"What are you guys doing?", Callie hopped on the bed.

"Oh we're having a tickle fight until Riley gives in"

"Well in that case – ", the brunette joined her wife and began to tickle the kid as well.

Riley couldn't take it for much longer, she was practically crying from laughter. She was twitching and moving hastily, the whole bed was shaking.

"Okay okay I give in!", the girl surrendered. Any more tickling and this humorous moment would have become painful.

Riley lay on her back, comfortably situated in between Callie and Arizona. The two women held her close; Arizona put her left arm around Riley's stomach while Callie rested her chin against Riley's head.

"Say it", Arizona whispered and kissed Riley on the cheek.

The girl bit her lower lip and smiled shyly. Callie and Arizona were so dorky sometimes and she loved teasing them. She exhaled dramatically as the two women looked at her with anticipation.

"Mom", the kid's soft voice melted Callie and Arizona's hearts.

Riley then covered her face with her hands from embarrassment. She wasn't used to being so mushy, but she did just lose a tickle fight. A deal is a deal.

Callie and Arizona gasped and pulled the girl into a closer embrace. They didn't mean to put her on the spot, but she was just so damn cute!

"Say it again!", Callie requested. She would never get over Riley saying that word.

Riley rolled her eyes, "mom"

The two women laughed and sighed with content. Nine months ago, when they first took Riley in, Callie and Arizona could only hope for a moment like this.

"Can I stay in your bed tonight?", the girl pouted her lips and flickered her eye lashes as she knew her moms won't be able to resist that face. She could practically get away with anything.

Arizona chuckled, "yes you may"

"Sweetie are you having bad dreams again?", the brunette asked with concern. Riley still had bad dreams every now and then, but they occured very rarely and not as frequently as before.

"Nope", Riley shook her head, "I just like your bed better"

Riley shifted her position and rolled to her side. Her back was facing Arizona, who scooted closer and warped her arms around the girl's skinny body. Riley rested her head against Callie's chest as the brunette soothingly began to play with her hair and brush the side of her face.

"What did you and Cristina do today?", Callie whispered.

Riley's eyes were close but she wasn't quite ready to fall asleep yet. "She taught me how to do a vertical mattress suture"

"Really?", Arizona asked with surprise. She never imagined Cristina will have the patience to teach a kid basic surgical skills; Cristina barely had the patience to teach her own interns.

"Yeah, we practiced on a dead pig"

Arizona and Callie shared a grossed out look. They didn't know what was more shocking; the fact that Cristina thought it was appropriate to show a dead pig to a little girl or the fact that Riley was completely and utterly okay with it.

A yawn escaped from Riley's mouth as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. "You ready to sleep baby?", Callie pressed her lips against the girl's forehead as she began to hum a relaxing tune.

The girl just nodded; she was too tired to respond.

Arizona laughed and kissed Riley's shoulder, "we love you monkey"

"Love you too", the girl mumbled; but it was enough for Callie and Arizona to understand.

Callie and Arizona's hearts skipped a beat for a second; it was the first time Riley said she loved them. Of course they knew the girl cared, but she was so closed up at times and she very rarely expressed how she felt. The two women shared an excited grin as their chests filled with pride. Riley loved them.

Slowly, the girl eased into sleep. Her breathing stabilized into a constant rhythm and her features softened. There was no hint of worry on her face; she looked calm and peaceful. Like a little angel.

Callie and Arizona were still awake as they held their daughter. They looked at their little girl with complete admiration; the moment was so magical, that they were afraid to close their eyes and fall asleep. They didn't want it to be over; they didn't want to get out of bed and go to work in the morning. They just wanted to hold their daughter and watch her sleep.

"Calliope?", Arizona's voice broke tranquil silence.

"Hmm?" the brunette sounded; she nearly fell asleep as well.

"I think I'm in love with our daughter"

Callie chuckled faintly, "and you just realized it?"

"No", Arizona admitted. "I knew. I always knew. From the moment we saw her in the ER…I knew"

"I know what you mean. I felt it too", Callie agreed; funnily enough they never really spoke about how they ended up with Riley in their lives. Because Callie and Arizona couldn't explain it; they simply knew.

From the very first moment Callie and Arizona saw Riley, from the moment their eyes locked with each other – they knew. Riley was their daughter. It wasn't something that could be explained or analyzed, it was a feeling. In one strange coincidental moment, that girl became their whole world.

Callie and Arizona were meant to be Riley's moms and Riley was destined to be their kid.

"Callie", Arizona lifted her head to look at her wife, "thank you"

"For what?"

"For making this happened. For fighting so we could keep Riley, for…showing me I could be a mom"

Callie looked at her wife with amazement. Arizona usually didn't get this sentimental. "Arizona you're as much a part of this process as I am"

"I know", Arizona nodded. "But you're the one who pushed for this to happen. I mean, you're the one who made me realize I wanted Riley in my life. So thank you"

"Well I couldn't have done it without you either. So thank you ", Callie leaned above Riley's head and shared a light kiss with her wife.

The two fell into silence again as they each began to reflect on the past few months. They had come a long way. It was a tough journey, one filled with obstacles and challenges but they made it. And next week, Callie and Arizona were going to reach the final stop – finalizing Riley's adoption. Of course then they will start a new journey with Riley; a journey they will take as a family.

"Is this how you imagined your life would be?", Callie asked abruptly.

"No", the blond admitted. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my life would turn out this way".

Arizona had it all. She was happily married, she was renowned in her field, she was financially secure. And in spite of it all, Arizona always felt like something was missing. Something she could never put her finger on it. But she never imagined it would be a kid. She was the kind of girl that aspired for a career, not a family.

"But it turned out better", Arizona added after an extended pause.

Callie sighed with relief; Arizona just gave her a slight heart attack. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. It turned out so much better"

Arizona _never_ thought she will be a mom. She never thought she would actually enjoy going to soccer games and sharing her bed with a kid – but she did. Arizona loved being a mom. She loved being Riley's mom. It took her long enough to realize it, but having a successful career didn't necessarily prevent a person from starting a family.

"What about you?", Arizona turned her head to face Callie.

The brunette took a moment to think about her answer, "I guess it kinda turned out the way I wanted, I mean I always knew I wanted to be a mom. But yeah…I never imagined it would turn this way either. But I love our family and I won't trade for the world so - what?" Callie asked when Arizona began laughing.

"No it's nothing..." the blond replied in between chuckles.

"Shhh you'll wake up Riley", Callie softly shoved Arizona's shoulder, "what's so funny anyway?"

"I don't know the whole situation seemed funny all of the sudden. Us lying in bed and having this moment or whatever – "

"With Riley sleeping in between us" Callie pointed out.

"Yeah exactly!"

Callie and Arizona laughed in unison. It was a strange moment but one they were sure to remember.

Callie turned her gaze to Arizona, "I love you"

"Good", Arizona teased.

"Shut up!", the brunette hissed back.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding", Arizona defended herself. "I love you too. And I love our family"

"We need to go to sleep…", the brunette pointed out. They spent half of the night sharing their feelings and they had to get up in a few hours. "We have a meeting with Dr. Parker tomorrow"

Dr. Parker was Riley's psychologist and the girl had been seeing him regularly in the past few weeks. It was recently brought to Callie and Arizona's attention that Riley was gifted; she was highly intelligent and she possessed exceptional memory skills. The next day, Callie and Arizona were set to meet with the psychologist and go over some of Riley's test results.

Arizona groaned, "Right I almost forgot. Good night"

Callie leaned to give Arizona a kiss, "Night…"

The two women fell asleep in an instant as they held their little girl securely in their arms. All three of them slept soundly through the night.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi there! Well I did promise quick updates so here is another new chapter. Also just a heads up, this chapter will end with a cliffhanger…I know I know it's annoying. But don't worry, nothing serious will happen and I will update as quickly as possible.**

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Callie and Arizona got off from work early; they invited Mark and Lexie over for dinner, for some much needed "adult time". It seems like ever since Riley had entered their lives, Callie and Arizona saw their friends less and less often. They hardly went to Joe's after work, they didn't go out late to social gatherings - they settled down. And in all honesty, the two preferred to spend their evening by cuddling Riley, eating ice cream and watching old movies while wearing their comfy sweats. Family life was much more attractive then partying all night long or getting drunk.

But every now and the two needed to be around adults as to be reminded that they are more than just moms. And that is exactly why they invited Mark and Lexie over; also Arizona and Callie had something important they wanted to share with their friends.

It was getting late and Riley was already asleep. Mark, Lexie and Arizona sat down for a chat in the living room, when Callie brought another wine bottle and four glasses from the kitchen. The brunette then took a seat on the couch next to her wife, just across from Mark and Lexie.

"So how did the meeting with Dr. Parker go?" Lexie asked as she happily grabbed the wine glass Mark handed her.

Callie and Arizona shared a hesitant look; that was the reason they wanted to talk to Mark and Lexie. Dr. Park was Riley's psychologist; a few months back he diagnosed her with eidetic memory. Since the diagnosis, Dr. Parker had given Riley different tests in order to examine her exceptional memory skills and intelligence. That morning, Callie and Arizona met with the psychologist to go over those tests results; one of the test results they discussed upon was Riley's IQ tests scores.

"Umm…it went well…" the brunette mumbled; a timid smile formed on her face.

"We got the results of the IQ test back" Arizona clarified.

"And…?" Lexie urged the two to continue.

"Riley's score was 168" the blond replied; her voice projecting both uncertainty and immense pride. A score of a 168 was well above average. According to those test results – Riley was a genius.

"WHAT!?" Mark nearly choked on his wine.

"Oh my gosh!" Lexie squealed with joy. "You guys! Do you know how amazing this is?"

Callie and Arizona looked at each other again. "Well –"

"168! That's incredible, I mean only 1% of the population scores above 140 –"

"So what she's like a genius or something?" Mark interrupted his girlfriend's rapid rambling.

"Yeah apparently" Callie chuckled. It's not like she and Arizona didn't know Riley was smart…_really smart_…way above the kids in her age group. But they just thought she was especially curious or something, they never imagined she would be well, a genius. And frankly, that word kinda scared them. Being a genius meant something; there're certain expectations that go along with that label. Callie and Arizona weren't sure they were prepared for that kind of responsibility.

"Wow" Mark gulped another sip of his wine.

"And all this time, nobody knew. Just imagine, if Riley still lived in foster care, if you guys hadn't taken her in, no one would have noticed. Just think of all the possibilities you guys opened for her…" Lexie pointed out thoughtfully; making Callie and Arizona smile shyly and blush. And it was true, thanks to Callie and Arizona, Riley was going to get higher education and she was going to properly learn how to exploit her gift.

"So what are you two going to do now?" Lexie asked.

"I don't know…" Callie sighed and looked at her wife. "I think we just need a little more time for it to sink in before we come up with a plan"

"Dr. Parker had recommended we transfer Riley into a gifted program" Arizona added. "We got an offer from Mercer middle school for next year, but we still haven't decided if we're gonna act on it"

"Gifted program? Like for really smart kids?" Mark was trying to keep up with everyone.

"Wow, Mercer huh? That's a really fancy school" Lexie's face lit up with surprise. Mercer Middle School was one of the best schools in Seattle. Kids waited for months to get in, it was very exclusive.

Arizona nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I mean it's a really nice school but I don't know, we're not sure if it will be the right move"

"It's gonna cost a fortune too, private school education isn't cheap" Callie poured herself another glass of wine.

"Is it really necessary?" Mark asked.

"I'm afraid it is. You've seen her, she's a walking encyclopedia!" Callie turned her head to Lexie, "no offense.."

"None taken" Lexie shook her head.

"And, we already noticed she often got bored in class. She needs to be in a place where she's challenged. I think that's why she likes the hospital so much. She feels like she's learning there…" Arizona explained.

"Have you talked to Riley about all of this?" Lexie asked. Callie and Arizona hadn't even mention Riley's input once.

"No" Callie lowered her view with slight shame.

Mark's eyebrows creased with confusion. "Why?"

"Well she's been so happy lately – "

"Yeah, we didn't want to burst her bubble" Arizona supported her wife's excuse.

"But this is good news! Wouldn't she be happy?" Lexie sort of pointed the obvious.

"Honestly, we're kinda scared to tell her" Arizona admitted.

"No, we're not – " Callie began to object.

"Yes Callie, we are"

"Because of the new school?" Lexie interrupted the two before they would start an argument.

"Yeah" Callie answered with defeat. Callie and Arizona, two grown women, two world renowned surgeons, were afraid of an 11 year old girl.

"She just", Arizona sighed. "She worked so hard this year. You know with catching up with everyone and then trying to be social and getting to know her classmates. I don't want us to take it from her. She really likes her old school and she feels comfortable there. I don't want her to be the new kid again".

The four fell into silence and simultaneously sipped from their wine glasses. Mercer is a great school and Riley could really flourish there. But at the same time, Callie and Arizona couldn't help but feel like they were taking a step back with Riley. Just when she finally found a familiar place, just when she finally had stability – the two were moving her again and essentially disturbing the constancy Riley looked for her whole life.

And was it necessary? Callie and Arizona were still uncertain about how they felt about this whole genius "thing". They loved Riley. And they would have still loved her if she wasn't a genius. To them she was just Riley; the same energetic, witty kid they fell in love with 9 months ago. But from now on, to everyone else Riley was the child prodigy, the genius kid, the gifted. And Callie and Arizona weren't sure they liked that label. They didn't want it to define Riley. She has the right to be whatever she wants to; regardless of her intelligence.

On the other hand, doesn't Riley deserve to be in a school system that challenges her? That better prepares her for the future? That would teach her how to use her gift on a better level?

"She's gonna freak out…when we tell her" Arizona finally said. She could see Riley's scared eyes, looking at her…seeking for help.

"I'm sure she won't – " Mark attempted to reassure his friends.

"Oh yeah, she will" Callie agreed with her wife. They knew their little girl too well by now.

"And she's gonna hate us" Arizona whined.

Callie took her wife's hand in hers. "Well Arizona, then she's going hate us. She will hate us for a week or maybe even two and then she'll get over it. And eventually she'll see that we only made her transfer to a new school for her own good" the brunette's voice was assertive, as if she was making sure Arizona was listening.

"I hope you're right…" Arizona wished with a sigh.

* * *

The next day, Callie and Arizona decided to let Riley know about their meeting with Dr. Parker and the implications of the tests scores.

Callie cleared her throat, "Riley you know how Arizona and I met with Dr. Parker yesterday?"

"Umm hmm" the girl mumbled, her attention was mostly invested in the slice of pizza she was munching on.

"Well, we just wanted to talk to you about some of the things Dr. Parker told us"

"Okay…" Riley looked up at Callie and Arizona as she sensed the conversation might get serious.

"Sweetie, Dr. Parker showed us some of your tests scores and -"

"Oh…" Riley's expression saddened, "I didn't do well right?"

Callie laughed, "No you…you did very well Riley"

"Really _really_ well…" Arizona emphasized.

It's like the girl wasn't even aware of how truly amazing she was. Callie and Arizona knew Riley was insecure and self conscious; she didn't exactly grow up in an encouraging environment. It was one of the things the two doctors had been working on with Riley for the past months. Callie and Arizona were hoping the test results might give Riley the confidence boost she needed; maybe now, she will think more highly of herself.

"So that's good right?" the girl asked innocently.

"Um yes its good but – ", the brunette paused to gather her thoughts.

"Riley, your tests scores were way above average", Arizona decided to barge in when she noticed Callie was having some trouble with the phrasing. "So basically all Dr. Parker told us, was that you are very _very_ smart. Which of course we already knew"

"So…that's it?" Riley asked cautiously.

"Yep that's it" Arizona smiled. She loved how laid back Riley was sometimes; like nothing was a big deal.

"And I don't have to go to Dr. Parker anymore?"

"Umm, you won't have regular meetings anymore. But you might still need to be tested every now and then"

Riley nodded happily. She didn't like going to Dr. Parker. The man was nice and all but all those tests made her head ache; it was really annoying, not to mention boring as hell.

"Riley, there was something else we need to talk about" Callie tapped her fingers on the dining table hesitantly; she was about to bring up the sensitive subject. "Dr. Parker recommended that we'll transfer you to a special school"

Riley's head snapped, "What?"

"Wait just listen to what we have to say" Callie gave her a warning look, "This special school is for kids like you, umm…really smart kids"

"Sweetie, you remember how you used to complain that you were bored in class?" Arizona waited for the kid to say something, but Riley just stared at her. "Well this is exactly why this new school will be good for you. They have a _special_ program for _special_ kids…like you"

The blond knew she was probably overusing the word special, but that's the only word she could think of to sugarcoat the situation. And Riley was special after all.

"Here" Arizona handed Riley a brochure of the new school, "looks really nice right? They have a science lab with microscopes and everything – "

"Just like in the hospital" Callie interrupted; she knew that mentioning the hospital might catch Riley's attention.

"Right!" Arizona exclaimed enthusiastically, "And they have an indoor pool, oh and a huge library…"

"_Annnd_, they have an all girl softball team! How about that, huh? You love softball!" Callie again, attempted to make this new school more appealing.

"Yeah they don't have one in your old school, right?"

Riley flipped the brochure blankly; she looked at the pictures of all the happy and smiley kids and she just could not believe it. It's like the last 9 months meant nothing. She was going to be the new kid again, and for what? Must be the hundredth time.

Callie and Arizona waited for Riley to say something. The kid's expression was vacant and shocked. It's not that Riley was unreasonable, the girl was actually pretty mature for her age; Callie and Arizona always felt like they could talk to her about anything. But as a kid with an abusive background, Riley had a hard time adjusting to change. Meeting new people was still a frightening experience for her; it was a challenge she was going to live with for the rest of her life.

Callie began talking again, "they also have a soccer field and a tennis court - "

"No!" Riley yelled; she then threw the brochure across the table.

And there it was - the reaction Callie and Arizona were waiting for. The two knew things will turn ugly now…

"Riley hold on a sec – "

"No!" she yelled again, "I'm not going to that school"

"Sweetie, this school is so much better" Arizona tried to convince her.

"I don't care" Riley's face turned red with rage, "I like my old school"

Callie breathed deeply, "Riley we know you do. But this new school is such a great opportunity - "

"It's not fair!" the girl whine; she then got up from her seat. "You promised I won't have to start a new school again" she pointed her finger towards Arizona.

Arizona got up from her seat as well, "I know what I promised but that was before –"

"And Coach Peterson said she will make me captain next year!"

"Riley!" Callie yelled. "We know, okay? We know that it's not fair and we know that you're upset. But we want you to get the best education possible so next year, you'll be attending Mercer middle school – "

"No, I'm not - "

"Next year - " Callie raised her voice again. "You'll be attending Mercer middle school and the decision is final"

Riley was mad. She was so mad she wanted to punch someone. How the hell did she find herself in that same situation over and over again?

For the first time in Riley's life everything was in place. She was getting her dream family, she was doing well in school, her teachers liked her, she had friends, she was going to be the captain of the soccer team and now everything was taken from her. And because she was really smart? If she was that smart, if she did well on her tests scores, then why is she being punished?

Arizona looked at Riley and her heart melted. No wonder Callie took charge, Arizona hated being assertive with Riley. She hated yelling at her. "Riley, we know this is scary – "

"No, you don't!" the girl shouted back.

"Sweetheart, this is for your own good" Callie promised. Her tone was stable and confident. She didn't let Riley's little tantrum break her.

Tears were forming in the corner of the little girl's eyes, "Why do you care about what's good for me?"

Callie's face shot with surprise; now that comment was uncalled for. "What? Riley of course we care – "

"No because if you really care then you won't make me transfer" Riley pointed out. "You won't make me move away from all my friends"

Riley pouted; she knew she was pushing Callie and Arizona. In any other circumstance she would never dare to speak to them in such a way.

"Or do you just care about how smart I am?" Riley just stared at the two women. That thought had crossed her mind before, but she tried to convince herself otherwise. It couldn't be that Callie and Arizona only cared about her intelligence, could it?

"Riley – " Arizona tried to explain.

"That's it right?" tears were now fully streaming down the girl's face. "That's why you want to adopt me, because I'm really smart or whatever and…and it looks good for you…"

Arizona gulped in panic. She turned her head to look at Callie and she could see her wife was shocked too. Riley had _never_ spoken to them like that. They knew they shouldn't take it personally, because the girl was upset and she probably didn't mean it. But it still kinda hurt…

"Riley, you can't talk to us like that" Arizona said; her voice was firm and cold. She realized she had to pull herself together, it wasn't fair of her to let Callie handle the situation by herself. They were both Riley's moms, they were equal partners.

"And us adopting you has nothing to do with the test results and you know it" Callie added, "You should go to your room until you calm down and then we'll talk again"

The girl marched to her room and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Callie was at the hospital, just minding her own business, filling in some charts and other paperwork.

"Torres!" Mark yelled when he saw her from across the hall. "Where the hell is your kid?"

"Excuse me?" Callie turned around.

"Where's Riley?" the man repeated, a little less loudly now.

"I don't know, but she should be running around here somewhere" as a matter of fact Callie hadn't seen Riley in a while either; not since that morning.

"Well, yesterday I told her to come by the lab so I could show her my new skin grafts and she was a no show" Mark was unusually whiny.

Callie patted her hand over Mark's shoulder. "_Aww_ Mark, I'm sorry my kid stood you up", she joked.

"It's not funny, I've been looking forward to it" As a plastic surgeon, regardless of how good he actually was, people often disregarded or looked down on his field. Most surgeons thought of plastic surgery as shallow, like it's not real medicine. But plastic surgery is more than just boob jobs and Mark really liked sharing that other side of plastics with Riley. The kid had a real unbiased appreciation to medicine and surgery, no matter of the specialty.

"Relax, I'm sure she's with Cristina" Callie laughed; Mark looked like he was really insulted. It was almost cute. But then again, Mark wasn't used to being stood up since he was usually the one that "deserted" his dates. And he especially wasn't used to being stood up by little girls.

"Yang?" Mark asked with surprised. Cristina kinda looked like the kind of person that ate little kids rather then played with them.

"Yeah the two are best friends now…go figure" Callie still couldn't believe that of all people, Riley chose to be "best friends" with Cristina Yang. And she couldn't believe that Cristina actually agreed to this too. "She's probably avoiding Arizona and I, since she isn't talking to us…"

The girl hadn't uttered a word to them since their talk last night. She was silent during breakfast, she was silent when they got to hospital. And she hadn't come over to say hello all day long. Callie had to admit it, the silent treatment was working; She couldn't stand Riley not talking to her.

"That mad huh?"

Callie nodded "Yeah, she'll get over it though. Come on let's go see where she's at"

Mark and Callie headed over to Cardiology to look for Riley when suddenly they ran into Cristina.

"Hey, Cristina" Callie pulled the resident's arm before she would get away. Those damn resident were always in motion. "Have you seen Riley?"

"Um, nope" the busy resident replied simply. She then approached the nurses' station and grabbed a pile of charts.

"Wait Cristina, she wasn't with you today?" Callie asked again; hints of panic rising in her voice.

"I told you, I haven't seen her. I haven't seen her since yesterday"

"Come on, let's go to Arizona maybe Riley's with her" Callie said as Cristina walked away.

The two then headed to the pediatrics department; they saw Arizona leaving a patient's room.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Arizona greeted them cheerfully and hung her purple stethoscope around her neck.

"Is Riley with you?" Callie asked; she was praying Arizona would say yes.

"Uh, no. why?" Arizona's expression became serious.

"I haven't seen her since she came with us to the hospital this morning and she wasn't with Cristina either" Callie explained.

"She was supposed to drop by my lab, but she didn't show up" Mark added.

"Well I'm sure she's here somewhere " Arizona subconsciously started scanning her eyes across the halls, "what about the pit?"

"Lexie was there today and she hadn't seen Riley"

"Neuro?"

"We talked to Derek, he didn't see her either"

"Derm?"

"Look Arizona, we checked everywhere" Callie's voice was shaky as she slowly started to grasp what was happening. "Riley's missing and I don't think she's at the hospital"


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey there! So my goal is to upload the whole story by the end of next week. There are a couple more chapters to go though…so stay tuned!**

**Meanwhile, I hope you like this chapter!**

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"Okay I just got off the phone with Lexie. Owen notified security to keep an eye open in case Riley shows up at the hospital again and they told the nurses to be on guard too. Lexie is on the night shift and she's working in the ER so she'll let us know if they'll see Riley" Mark said.

Arizona nodded, "Good. And I just spoke to Seattle Presbyterian. Riley hasn't showed up there either"

"Well that's good right?" Mark tried to sound hopeful. At least the kid wasn't lying in some other hospital's OR.

"I don't know, honestly there's a part of me that wished she was there just so we would know she's safe" Arizona sighed. She was tired and Callie was tired. It was late and they've been through hell, but it seemed as if the day wasn't anywhere near over.

Riley was missing. Their little girl was missing. Their sweet, curious, fragile looking girl was missing. What if she's in trouble? What if she's lying in some other surgeon's OR? What if she was picked up by some stranger off the streets? She was 11 and so little, she could easily be kidnapped or assaulted or…Callie and Arizona didn't even want to know what might come next. Suddenly, the world outside seemed so dangerous.

Callie and Arizona were heartbroken. Their pretty little bubble was burst in an instant. 8 hours had passed since they found out Riley was missing, but who knows how long she's been gone. What if she took off in the morning? Did it really take them so long to notice she was missing? It had been 8 hours, but to Callie and Arizona it felt like eternity. Every minute felt like forever, every second that passed felt like the two were further away from finding Riley.

Callie was pacing around the room. She couldn't sit, she couldn't drink, she couldn't talk. She wanted to do something. She couldn't be this useless, she had to do something. "That's it I'm calling the police!" Callie picked up the phone.

"Callie you know they won't do anything since it hasn't been 24 hours yet" Mark pointed out.

"I don't care!" Callie cried. "Riley is missing Mark! Our 11 year old girl is missing and I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and do nothing!"

Callie dropped the phone on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. She then buried her face in her hands and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm –"

"It's okay" Mark said; he didn't take it personally, he knew Callie was just upset and frustrated.

Arizona chuckled bitterly; she was leaning on the couch's armrest. "We are terrible parents"

"What?" Callie lifted her head.

"Who would let their kid wonder around alone?" Arizona had the same thought when she and Callie first met Riley. Back then they didn't know her background story…they didn't know she ran away and was living on the streets by herself. Apparently they were just as careless as Riley's previous foster family.

"You thought she was at the hospital, you didn't know. And it's not like her to run like that –"

"Yes it is" Arizona admitted with a broken voice. "She did it before"

Riley ran away from her previous foster home and she also ran away after she was admitted to the hospital. She had nearly died after both times.

"Yep, we knew she was a runner" Callie confessed cynically, "I just never thought she would run away from us"

Mark looked at his two friends. They were crushed. Their eyes were wide with worry; their body movement was edgy and uneasy. Their voices were chocked and broken.

"I'm sure she didn't run away from you. She was upset and kids do stupid things" Mark tried to comfort them.

"I just…I can't, I mean we've looked everywhere" Callie got up from the couch, "are we missing something?"

Arizona looked at her wife; they shared a similar frustrated expression. "We looked all over the hospital…"

"We called her friends' parents, we checked the cemetery" Callie thought out loud.

"The cemetery?" Mark asked with confusion.

"Forget it, it's weird" Callie signaled him to drop it, "Where else could she be?"

Mark grabbed his car keys; suddenly an idea popped in his head. "Look, I'm gonna take a drive around the area maybe I'll find her"

"What, Mark –"

"Just stay here in case she comes back" the man said as he ran out the door.

* * *

_"Ugh!"_ Riley groaned. She missed the ball, again.

She pulled the bat above her shoulders and prepped herself for another swing.

The machine threw another ball towards her, but Riley had failed to hit it. "Crap!" she cursed.

"You need to bend your knees a little more" Riley's head spun around to the sound of Mark's rusty voice. The man leaned on the chain – link fence and crossed his arms. "And you need to stretch your arm to the contact point, remember?"

Riley gasped. "What are you doing here?" she asked angrily.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Mark's voice was calm and firm. His first instinct was to drag the kid right into his car and drive off. He wanted to yell at her for scaring Callie and Arizona…for scaring him, for disappearing like that. But no. Mark knew better. And he knew that yelling and scolding the girl won't be right.

"What does it look like? I'm practicing my swing" the girl turned around for another shot. The machine threw yet another ball towards her and this time Riley successfully hit the ball, bouncing it off the fence forcefully.

"There you go. That was a good hit" Mark smirked; he was mad at the girl but she was a good ball player. He taught her to swing like that.

Riley was angry, no she was…she was fuming, she was hurt. But she wasn't stupid, and she knew running away was a bad thing. She also knew that Callie and Arizona must have been really worried. _Good,_ Riley thought to herself. Let them have a piece of what she's feeling right now.

Callie and Arizona couldn't tell her what to do. They knew her what, for 9 months? That doesn't give them the right to dictate her life, nor does a piece of paper. Riley had been on her own her whole life, and she felt dumb for thinking that things are going to change now. Callie and Arizona…they didn't care, they didn't understand. They wanted her to be a trophy so they could show off to their friends? Well, fine. But Riley wasn't gonna play along with that.

So she took off. Like she always does. After 11 years of running, it's the only thing she knew how to do. Usually, running away made Riley feel free, like she could finally breathe. But this time…it felt wrong. She spent the whole day in the batting cages, pretending to practice baseball; hoping that it would distract her from the clenching sensation in her stomach. She wanted to hate Callie and Arizona for what they did to her, for taking away everything she'd worked for; but Riley could never do that. And that thought frustrated her even more so.

And all this time, Callie and Arizona pushed Riley to do better at school, to socialize, to do things beyond her comfort zone. And for what? So after she finally found a familiar place they could take it all and ruin everything? Did they not know how hard it was for her to get over those initial fears? How hard it was for her to simply walk by and say hello or raise her hand in class when she knew the correct answer? Which of course she always knew.

Her whole life, Riley's been taught to stay silent. To look down when spoken to, to never speak her mind. And those bad habits will be engraved inside her forever. But she did try, because she wanted to be better for Callie and Arizona. Because she loved them so much and she wanted to be good like them, she wanted to be worthy. And so she let them push her and she worked hard. She learned to project her voice when she spoke, she learned to walk with her head high and she learned that it's okay to laugh and smile.

But now she had to go through this whole process again.

And the worst part was that Callie and Arizona didn't even ask what she had to say about this. What _she_ wanted. They immediately made a decision for her and completely disregarded her feelings. They silenced her. And for the first time in her life, Riley wasn't going to accept that.

"What are you thinking about?" Mark interrupted Riley's thought process. He kept leaning on the fence and watched Riley practice her batting skills. Though he could tell she was distracted.

"Nothing" Riley muttered.

Mark sighed. "Look kid, you don't own me an explanation. But you do own one to your moms – "

"They're not my moms" Riley cut him off.

Mark laughed. The whole strict and cheeky attitude wasn't really working for Riley. "Now you and I both know that's not true"

Riley knew he was right. And that part hurt the most. Because, and even though her adoption hasn't been finalized yet, Callie and Arizona did feel like her moms. And as much as she tried to convince herself that they did this on purpose and that they were bad people, she didn't believe it for a second. Deep down, she knew Callie and Arizona cared. And part of her even understood why they insisted on transferring her.

Riley has been waiting for this moment. The moment where everything was going to fall apart. Regardless of her situation, no matter the circumstances, there was always a moment; a point in time in which Riley lost everything. And the moment never failed to exist. So much so, that Riley had trained herself to expect it. And there it was, right on time. Threatening to ruin her new home.

Though it just occurred to Riley, that maybe - just maybe, her obsessive behavior is what led to this moment right now. She was so used to failure, so used to betrayal that she immediately decided that her relationship with Arizona and Callie would end this way too. She kept expecting the moment, when in fact, she was the one who led to it.

But she could still make it right, there was still time.

Riley knew what she had to do.

"Let's go home", the girl dropped the bat and followed Mark to the car.

* * *

Callie and Arizona simultaneously turned their heads to the sound of the front door opening.

"Riley", Callie got off from the couch and practically launched herself on the kid. She pulled the girl into an embrace and held her tightly.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Callie ordered. She put her hands on Riley's cheeks and looked at her deeply.

Riley didn't respond; she just stared at Callie. Riley had never seen her in such a state. The woman was a crying mess; her eyes were puffy and red, there were tear stains covering her face. And Callie's tone...it was more than angry. It was scared.

"You hear me?", Callie shook Riley's shoulders when the girl didn't answer. "Riley you have to promise you will never do that again"

"I promise" Riley answered with a shaky voice. Callie pulled her into another hug, which probably lingered too long. "I'm sorry" she whispered.

"It's okay" Callie mumbled. Now that she was physically holding Riley – that she knew her little girl was safe, everything was okay.

Mark walked to the kitchen where he saw Arizona leaning over the counter. She was shaking, actually, physically shaking. The man walked to the sink and poured some water into a glass. He then handed the glass to Arizona and rubbed his hand over her back protectively. They weren't best friends, but they were still family. And Mark had never seen Arizona on the verge of a breakdown like right now.

"Thanks" Arizona's shaky hands willingly accepted the glass. She then took a few sips in an attempt to calm herself down. Never in her life, had Arizona felt so scared.

Callie pulled away from Riley, "go give Arizona a hug".

The girl walked over to her other mom, who was still standing in the kitchen, next to Mark. The man gave them some privacy as he went to check on Callie.

"Arizona, I'm sorry" the girl said softly. She then studied Arizona's expression too. There weren't any signs of crying on Arizona's face but her skin was white with fear, like she had just seen a ghost. And she was still a little shaky and pale, it looked like she was about to pass out.

Arizona took a moment to look at Riley, and then pulled her into a hug. She was mad, she was so _so_ mad. All of the sudden she became one of those stressed out parents in her waiting room; ones that became so sick with worry while their child was lying on her OR table.

This was exactly the reason why Arizona didn't want to be a mom. So she would never have to feel like that. So she would never have to feel like her whole world was crashing down, so she would never have to feel so sick to the core of her being. So she would never have to be so freaking scared. But one look at her girl and everything was forgiven. Not forgotten, Arizona would never forget how worried she's been for the past few hours; that memory would never leave her mind. But the most important thing was that Riley was safely held in her arms.

"Thanks Mark" Callie gave her best friend a grateful hug.

"Don't mentioned it" the man said as he was about to leave. He gave Riley a reassuring wink and left the apartment.

"Riley, take a sit on the couch" Arizona instructed.

The kid did as she was told and walked shamefully to the living room. She didn't dare to object or even utter a word, for she knew she was in big trouble now. Callie and Arizona had never raised their voice on her before; they never even got angry with her before. But Riley knew, as she looked at Callie and Arizona's devastated faces, that there would be some serious yelling involved. The girl took a big breath, as she braced herself for what was coming.

Callie and Arizona took a sit on the coffee table just across from Riley.

Callie began talking first, "Riley what happened today, can _never_ happen again. Do you understand?"

The girl gulped, "yeah"

"You can't just go off for hours without telling us…" Arizona continued. It was important for her to show Callie that they were on the same page here. They were a team, and they would get through this together.

"Do you know how worried we were?" Callie paused and shook her head with frustration. "I mean we didn't know where you were at, we didn't know if you were in trouble, if you were hurt…"

"What if something were to happen to you, what were we supposed to do then?" Arizona knew her words might be slightly harsh; but Riley needed to understand this behavior was not acceptable."Riley, if the adoption agency were to know about this, they wouldn't let us adopt you. They wouldn't let us be your parents"

"I…I…" Riley tried to explain her actions; but she had no excuse. Tears began to stream down her face; she said she was sorry, what else was there to do?

Callie's heart was aching to the sight of Riley crying. She knew the girl was sorry, she could see that. Callie wanted to drop everything and hug her daughter forever. But this was one of those "parenting moments" and Callie had to keep it together and not give in to Riley's crying. "This running away thing, it has to stop"

"Yeah from now on if something's bugging you, if you're upset, if you're angry, you come and tell us. Understood?" it was hard for Arizona to keep it together too. She tried to maintain an assertive tone, so Riley would understand they were very angry with her.

"Okay" Riley sniffed her nose.

"Now, what we talked about yesterday" Arizona brought up the sensitive topic. "You had every right to be upset"

Riley's face lip up with surprise. Okay, was Arizona admitting they were wrong?

"Callie and I" Arizona glanced over to her wife, "We know how much you worked and we know how hard it was for you to make friends. And Riley, we're so proud of you for that" one of Arizona's super magic smiles formed on her face. She couldn't keep the angry attitude for too long. "_You, _are outstanding. And you have this incredible superpower" ,Riley giggled at Arizona's comment, "which is why you're going to Mercer"

Riley froze. Weren't they admitting they were wrong? She wanted to object, but decided to stay put and listen to what Callie and Arizona had to say.

Arizona continued, her voice was warmer now but it was still confident. "Because you need to be in a place that teaches you how to use your superpower, you need to be in a place that challenges you"

"Riley, it's okay if you don't agree with this decision. And it's even okay for you to hate us right now. But you just need to know that we still love you, and we loved you before we found out about the tests results and we will continue to love you forever", Callie added. "And even though, it might be scary to start a new school again, we know you can do it"

"Honey, you are not alone. And we will be there to help you on every step of the way" the blond summed it up.

Riley nodded with understanding. She wasn't alone. For the first time in her life, she was not alone. She had Callie and Arizona and they weren't going anywhere.

"Come here" Callie pulled Riley into a hug and Arizona joined them.

And in that moment, as Riley was safely held in her moms' arms – she knew. Riley knew Callie and Arizona were her moms. She didn't need a piece of paper to prove it, she didn't any reassurance. This was the real deal, they were her family. And nothing was going to change that.


	21. Chapter 21

**Alright, so this chapter is light and fluffy. I will post the last chapter and epilogue sometime this week…there is still some editing left to do so…**

**I hope you guys will like it!**

* * *

"I got the cake!" Arizona announced as she entered the apartment.

"Oh good, let me see!" Callie ran to the kitchen.

"Wait for me!" Lexie followed her.

Arizona put the big white box on the counter and uncovered it. Inside, there was a huge birthday cake designed in the shape of a soccer field. It was a chocolate cake, though it was covered in green frosting to resemble the grass. They even used white frosting to create the actual margins and there were nets and players made of sugar dough. Lastly, the bakery used blue frosting to write "Happy Birthday Riley" in the middle. It was perfect.

"Oh my gosh!", Callie squealed with joy, "Riley's gonna freak out!"

"You think she'll like it?" Arizona asked hesitantly. She wanted everything to be perfect for their little girl.

"Are you kidding? She will love it!" Lexie said with confidence.

Today was a special day for two reasons. One, it was a day before the adoption court hearing. Meaning that tomorrow, Callie and Arizona will officially adopt Riley. But the second reason, which was even more exciting, that it was Riley 12th birthday.

Callie and Arizona decided to make the day even more special by throwing Riley a surprise party; and they got everyone to help them out too. Mark, being the awesome uncle that he was, took the little girl out on a camping trip. There was no way Riley could figure it out, as far as she was concerned she was just having a day in the woods with Mark…building tents, lighting a fire from scratch and eating snacks. She wasn't a bit concerned that Callie and Arizona, or even Lexie hadn't join them; as neither liked camping or spending time in the outdoors.

It was the perfect plan. Mark made sure Riley was away and that gave Callie, Arizona and Lexie enough time to decorate the apartment, get the food ready and everything that was needed for the party.

"I really hope we won't scare her…" Arizona thought out loud. She put the cake in the fridge and started blowing balloons.

"Why would she be scared?" Callie handed Lexie a piece of tape; the younger woman stood on a chair as she hung birthday signs on the wall.

"I don't know, maybe she'll get scared when we all jump on her" Arizona took a big breath and blew into a red balloon.

"I wouldn't be too worried about it, and it's not like we're a bunch of strangers attacking her or whatever…" Callie pointed out.

When Riley first entered their lives, she was really nervous around new people and social gathering made her feel uncomfortable. Her social anxiety was a result of years of both physical and emotional abuse. However, Riley had changed a lot since then. And nowadays, not only is she more comfortable around people in general, she's also a lot more open to new people and new surroundings. All of which are good habits she picked up since Callie and Arizona took her in.

"You guys just wait and see, she's gonna have so much fun!", It was actually Lexie's idea to throw a surprise party of Riley. Kids love surprise parties. There was even a time that Lexie suggest a surprise party for Arizona's birthday, yet that didn't turn out as great.

But this party – this party was going to be the party of the century. Almost half of the hospital was going to show up. And yes, it was a bit weird that the majority of the guests were going to be grown ups, grown up doctors, but that was Riley's family now. The kid was surrounded by doctors, she watched surgeries for fun and she played in the skills lab to pass her time. To Riley, the halls of Seattle Grace Mercy West hospital were home; and the surgeons working there were her "aunts" and "uncles", and there was no way they were going to miss her party.

Much like Arizona and Callie, all lot of their friends and coworkers fell in love with the girl and often spent time with her when she dropped by the hospital. So yeah, they were a family now. Not the most perfect family, definitely not the sanest one. But a family nonetheless. Riley was as big of a part of the hospital as Callie and Arizona were and she had entered the lives of so many people there. She was the heart of the hospital.

"Come on, we should get dressed" Callie started cleaning up the kitchen.

Arizona looked at her watch. It was nearly 18:00. "Oh, yeah people would be showing up soon"

All there was left to do, was to wait for the birthday girl.

* * *

Mark and Riley were on their way back to Callie and Arizona's apartment; Callie texted Mark earlier saying everything was ready and that he and Riley could head back home.

Their camping trip turned out really fun. Who would have thought that a little girl would like camping? Certainty not Mark. But then again, Riley was different than most girls her age.

"Mark?", Riley said with a hesitant tone.

"Hmm?"

"When people…like other people, see me with Callie and Arizona, do you think they know they are my moms?"

"What!?", the man asked with confusion. Where the hell did that come from? Now Mark loved Riley; he loved spending time with her and everything. But he wasn't that kind of a guy…the guy that gave advices; especially not to little girls. And frankly the direction this conversation was leading to was freaking him out.

"Like if we were to just walk down the street or something, do you think people could tell we're a family?" Riley rephrased her question.

Mark looked at the little girl. She was genuinely concerned about what "other people" might think of her relationship with Callie and Arizona. And in a way it made sense. Her family was different than the traditional view of how a family should look like. But with that being said, that didn't mean Riley's relationship with Callie and Arizona wasn't as meaningful. And it certainly didn't make them less of a family.

"Riley, you guys are a family –"

"No, I know that. And you know it…and Callie and Arizona know it. But…", Riley breathed heavily, "I look nothing like them. I'm not good like them. So it's like who are we trying to fool, right?"

Mark parked the car; they were just outside Callie and Arizona's building. Boy that kid chose a time to have a talk. Everyone were waiting for them, the party was about to begin. Mark just hoped the kid won't start crying or something like that.

"Riley, resemblance doesn't always make up a family. Okay? There are all kinds of families out there. For example, I look a lot like my dad, but we don't have a good relationship. I haven't talked to him in years. So having a parent or a kid that looks like you doesn't always mean you're a family. Does that make sense?"

"I guess…", the girl admitted.

"Besides who cares what other people think? Let them think what they want. The important part is that you know Callie and Arizona are your moms. And you guys all love each other"

Riley took a moment to think about what Mark said. He was right. Who cares what other people might think? Riley couldn't let other people's thoughts dictate her life. So what if she didn't look like Callie and Arizona? They still loved her as if she was biologically their own. And they still did family "stuff"…like eating together and playing and cuddling. That was the important part.

"You okay there kiddo?", Mark asked after a long pause. He got that Riley was having a moment, but Callie wouldn't stop texting him. They were making everybody worried.

"Yeah…", Riley smiled at him. "Yeah I'm good. Thanks for the…the talk"

"Any time", Mark patted Riley's head and opened the car's door.

"Hey Mark?", Riley asked again.

"Yeah?"

"I just…I just wanted to say that I had a lot of fun camping with you"

Mark laughed, "I had a lot of fun camping with you too"

The girl hopped off the car and helped Mark pull out the bags and camping equipment.

"You know kid, this could be our thing", Mark suggested as he and Riley walked up the stairs.

Riley gave him a confused look, "what camping?"

"Yeah! You know if we ever feel like it or when we need some time for ourselves to get away from the girls", Mark joked. He loved Riley. And he loved that she loved doing "guys stuff" with him.

Riley laughed, "Okay yeah!"

The two were about to walk inside the apartment when Mark suddenly felt the need to give the kid a little heads up; so she won't freak out or anything. "Wait Riley – ", he pulled the girl's hand, "look before we go in –"

"It's okay I know", Riley smirked at him.

"What?"

"I know" Riley repeated. "About the party" she whispered the last part just in case someone could hear them. They stood right outside the apartment's door.

"How did you? What?", Mark looked at her with complete disbelief. "How did you know?"

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. You, suggesting a camping trip on my birthday…Callie and Arizona happily agreeing…it all seemed too odd"

Mark chuckled. "Well we were dumb to think we could trick you"

Riley was a really clever kid after all; it was hard keeping things a secret from her.

"Don't worry I'll act surprised" , Riley patted his arm playfully and smiled.

Riley took a big breath and opened the door.

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted together.

"What!?" Riley's shouted overenthusiastically, "A party!"

Callie and Arizona looked at each other. Riley was a bad liar and she was overselling it. "You knew?" Callie asked, and her gaze immediately shot to Mark's direction.

"Damn it Mark!" Lexie whined.

"No! No I didn't!" Riley tired to make a quick recovery. "Okay fine, I knew! But not because of Mark! I just…I just knew…sorry" the girl apologized timidly.

Arizona sighed and shook her head. She was still studying Mark, as she felt that somehow it was his fault. "Come on sweetie, let's go cut the cake"

Riley took a moment to examine the decorated living room. It looked amazing, there were signs and balloons and everything. Oh and the apartment was so crowded! There must have been like 40 something people; all of which came to congratulate and hug Riley as she stepped through the door.

After getting over her initial shock, Riley glanced over to the huge mountain of presents situated on dining table. There must have been like a hundred boxes sitting there, all in different shapes, colors and sizes. Riley couldn't wait to get her hands on those…

Callie and Arizona urged Riley to take a sit in the living room as they brought in the cake from the kitchen. All of the guests stood on the sides as they watched the girl's reaction to the soccer themed cake.

"You like it?" Arizona asked; she noticed the radiating grin that was bending on Riley's face.

"Yeah!" Riley called with excitement.

Callie laughed, "Don't forget to make a wish!"

Riley closed her eyes as she thought of what to wish for. Honestly, she had everything. All that Riley ever wanted was a family and now she got one. As long as Callie and Arizona were on her side, the girl knew she was safe. She had nothing else to wish for. Except maybe a puppy. _Yeah a puppy_, Riley thought to herself. That was something worth wishing for.

Riley took a big breath and blew all 12 candles at once.

"Happy birthday sweetie!" Callie said.

The girl's face wrinkled humorously as both Callie and Arizona gave her a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

"Mmm…Let's see…" Arizona handed Riley another gift. "Oh, this one is from Cristina and Owen.

Riley gladly grabbed the box from Arizona's hands. She sat on the floor, in between her moms, covered by the colorful pile of presents. Callie and Arizona hoped Riley would wait for tomorrow with the gift opening, but after she asked to open at least one, well…one led to another and before they knew it, it was already way past Riley's bedtime and they were nowhere near done with opening all the gifts.

The party a huge hit; which is a bit surprising considering it was a party for a 12 year old girl and most of the guests were doctors. But everyone seemed to have fun and most importantly Riley had fun. The girl was grinning from ear to ear; her face was practically glowing with joy. And judging by the enormous amounts of candy she ate on top of all the excitement, well no wonder she wasn't too eager to go to sleep.

Riley ripped the shiny blue warp paper from the box and peeked inside. "A microscope!" she shouted with joy.

Callie laughed. Cristina sure knew Riley well by now. Most little girls might wish for clothes or a pony or whatever for their 12th birthday; not Riley though. She was much more sophisticated then that.

"And look it also comes with scalpels and glass lenses and everything!", Riley practically jumped up and down from happiness.

"That's great honey", Arizona chuckled. Riley was so cute when she was excited. Who would have thought that a little girl could get so worked up over a junior microscope. "Don't forget to thank Owen and Cristina tomorrow" she added.

"Come on, let's see what else you got" Callie handed Riley another box.

Along with the microscope from Owen and Cristina, Riley also got brand new baseball gear from Mark and Lexie, a soccer ball from Alex, and not to mention the numerous gadgets Arizona and Callie got her. To an outsider, it may look like the two women robbed an Apple store. They bought Riley the new MacBook pro, an iPod touch and, as if all of that wasn't enough, they also got her the new iPad. The kid was all set. Apart from that, Callie and Arizona also got her new soccer shoes and a shiny blue colored bicycle; with a helmet and protective gear of course. But they saved the best gift for last.

"Alright, you have one more gift to open. And it's from us" Callie handed Riley a black box.

The girl took a moment to study the box. It was tiny, so obviously it was a jewelry box and there weren't any letters on it or anything. Riley wrinkled her nose, she wasn't that into jewelry. But she tried her best to hide her disappointment; so she won't insult Callie and Arizona.

"Come on, open it" Arizona urged the girl.

Riley did as she was told. Inside the box, lay a silver necklace with a tiny heart shaped pendant - Identical to the matching necklaces Arizona and Callie always wore.

The corners of Riley's mouth curled into a huge grin. "It's like yours".

"Exactly", Callie pulled the necklace and put around Riley's neck.

Riley's chest filled up with pride. That's who they were now – the dorky family who wore matching necklaces. But Riley didn't mind; she thought it was cool.

"You like it?", Arizona brushed Riley's hair behind her ear.

"I love it", the girl swore.

Riley didn't look like Callie and Arizona; not physically. But funnily enough, wearing that matching necklace almost gave her that sense of belonging. Their skin color, their hair, their eyes…they were all different. And that was the most beautiful part about their newly formed family. Physically they were different, but inside their hearts, they were the same.

"Alright kiddo, you need to go to bed", Callie said after checking out the time. It was way too late and they had to get up early tomorrow morning.

"You heard what your mom said. It's time for bed", Arizona added after Riley groaned and whined in protest.

Callie gave Arizona a thankful look. They were really getting into this whole parenting "thing".

"Can I at least sleep in your bed?", the girl pouted her lips and stared at her moms innocently.

"Callie can you say no to that face? Because I don't think I can", Arizona joked. That girl had them wrapped around her little finger and she wasn't afraid to use it against them.

"No way am I saying no to that face!", Callie laughed and pulled Riley into another embrace.

The girl flashed them with a victorious grin as the three got up and walked to bed. Riley couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

Tomorrow she was going to be adopted.


	22. Chapter 22

**There you go, the last chapter! All mushy and fluffy…haha**

**Thank you all for sticking around and for the wonderful feedback! I hope you enjoyed this story!**

* * *

Callie and Arizona were patiently waiting for Riley to come out of her room. Today was the big day, the day Callie and Arizona were going to officially adopt Riley.

"What's taking her so long?" Arizona whispered to Callie.

"Give her a sec…" the brunette mumbled back.

They sat in the living room, already dressed and ready to go. Arizona wore a two piece black suit, with a white blouse underneath; she also wore a pair of elegant black high heels with an addition of a golden strap. She kept her makeup and jewelry light; they were going to court, not a cocktail party. And her lustrous golden hair lay perfectly loose on her shoulders. Callie wore turquoise colored dress that contrasted beautifully against her dark skin. She too, was dressed fairly modestly, with just a touch of a black eyeliner and red lipstick. Both women wore their matching heart shaped necklaces, as usual. The two were now waiting for Riley to come out of her room, wearing the new dress they got her for the happy occasion.

_"Awww!"_ Arizona whimpered when Riley finally graced them with her presence.

Riley wore a light blue dress; the wavy material complemented her skinny body beautifully. Her light brown hair was pinned on one side, and lay loose on the other. She looked like a little princess.

"No Way!" Riley stomped her foot down angrily.

"But –"

"No! I'm not gonna wear this dress!" she stated before her moms could object.

Callie sighed, she had a feeling Riley might act this way. "Honey you look beautiful!"

Riley…well she wasn't the "girly" kind; as Arizona and Callie learned. She preferred jeans and t – shirts to dresses and skirts. But today was a special day, and they had to dress accordingly. Was it too much to ask of her to wear a dress for a couple of hours? Callie and Arizona even got her a blue dress, since blue was her favorite color.

Riley pouted, "No I look stupid…"

"What!? Monkey you look so cute! You'll see, you're going to wow everyone!", Arizona's voice was even more so cheerful than usual. After all, it wasn't everyday that she got to see her daughter wearing a dress. Personally Arizona would have wanted her little girl to wear something more feminine, but she and Callie didn't dare to buy Riley anything pink or flowery.

Riley breathed out dramatically, "fine".

Callie and Arizona shared a winning smile. "Alright, let's get going", Callie said as she grabbed her purse.

After checking that they got all the paperwork and that they didn't forget anything, the three drove off to king county courthouse, to finalize Riley's adoption.

* * *

"Dr. Torres, Dr. Robbins, will you please stand up and raise your right hand" the judge ordered.

Callie and Arizona got up from their sits and did as they were told.

"Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in the matters before this court?"

Arizona nodded, "I do"

"Yes, I do", Callie agreed.

"Good, you may return to your sits. We will now proceed with the adoption agreement"

Riley sat in between Callie and Arizona, in the front row. The judge went on and on and Riley tuned herself out completely; this part was mostly for Callie and Arizona to hear anyways. The courtroom looked like…well, a standardized courtroom; though it wasn't as big as the ones shown in the movies. Riley turned her head to the back, where all of her moms' friends and coworkers sat and quietly observed the hearing. There must have been over 20 people there; so much for a small ceremony.

Riley scanned her eyes in an attempted to look for a familiar face. Everybody was there, Alex, Cristina and Owen, Derek and Meredith and a bunch of other people from the hospital. Riley found Mark standing next to a very emotional Lexie, the young woman was quietly blowing her nose into a tissue; the man gave Riley a reassuring wink that brought a smile to her face.

On the other side of the room, Riley saw some of the social workers and other officials who were assigned on her adoption case. It wasn't unusual for Callie and Arizona to invite them. After all, they worked together for months to get to this point, to get the adoption agreement. In essence, those social workers had become a part of Callie and Arizona's lives; they couldn't have gotten to this point without them.

Riley turned her head to the front of the room as she tried to follow what the judge was saying. In the corner of her right eye, she could already see Arizona wiping her tears; why the hell was everybody crying?

"I would first like to welcome everyone who gathered in this courtroom today, to celebrate Riley's adoption to Dr. Arizona Robbins and Dr. Calliope Torres", the judge announce.

Riley snorted; the judge talked as if he was officiating a wedding, not an adoption agreement. But then again those types of court hearings were typically a lot less formal.

"I haven't seen so many doctors in one room since my gallbladder removal" ,the crowed rolled with laughter at the judge's comment. Nothing like a surgery related joke to break the ice.

"Before I'm making things official, Dr. Torres and Dr. Robbins, I'm going to ask you a few questions" ,the judge pulled out Riley's adoption paperwork and started flipping through the pages.

"On the last page of the petition for adoption there are two signatures in which I'm showing to you", the judge presented the paper in front of Callie and Arizona. "Do those signatures belong to you?"

The two women answered affirmatively.

"Where the facts in this petition true when you signed it?"

"Yes, your honor" Arizona said.

"Is the child you are here to adopt today, currently named Riley Holmes?" the judge waited for Callie and Arizona to answer. "And would you like to change Riley's surname?"

"Yes", Callie and Arizona agreed.

"What would you like to change it to?"

"Riley Torres – Robbins" Callie answered. The thought of Riley carrying her surname sure made her chest fill with pride.

"Was Riley placed in you care by child protective services nine months ago?"

"Yes", Callie and Arizona answered for the hundredth time.

"And has she been in your care since?"

"Yes, she has" Arizona rubbed her hand over Riley's back soothingly; she sensed the kid was starting to lose her patience.

"Are you employed and able to financially support Riley? Are you able to provide for her health and education?"

Riley rolled her eyes; she was bored and the judge was really taking his time. she knew those were just standardized questions and that he was just following the procedure…but still the whole thing was kinda ridiculous.

"Do you understand that after this adoption is granted you're going to have the same rights, responsibilities, and obligations to Riley as if she was your biological child? Do you agree to take care of her and love her as your own?"

"Yes we do" Arizona said; the smile on her face was growing even wider now as the judge was nearly done questioning them.

"Riley? Do you agree with this adoption?" ,the judge looked at the girl.

Riley's head snapped in an instant. She didn't expect the judge to speak to her directly.

"Uh umm..." she stuttered blankly; she was caught off guard of a moment.

Riley then turned her head and looked at Callie and Arizona. The two were smiling broadly; their facial expressions showing nothing but love, sympathy and pride. Her hand subconsciously moved to play with the heart shaped necklace she was wearing; the one that was identical to Callie and Arizona's.

"Umm yeah I agree", Riley finally said.

Everyone in the crowd laughed at the kid's simple answer. Comparing to her moms, she was very laid back; like she didn't seem to grasp what the big deal was. Which was understandable in a way. The adoption agreement was just a legal procedure, it didn't mean much to Callie, Arizona and Riley. To the three of them, they were already a family and they have been one for months. They didn't need a piece of paper to prove it.

"Well alrighty then. Dr. Torres, Dr. Robbins, after signing this adoption agreement you will be recognized as Riley's legal parents. Congratulations to all of you"

"Now can we go eat ice cream?" the girl's voice was whiney and irritated.

Callie rolled her eyes while Arizona laughed. "Yeah, now we got get ice cream"

* * *

"Alright Kid, you ready?"

"Yep"

"Okay, but don't forget to extend your hand to –"

"To the contact point, yeah yeah I got it!"

Mark rolled his eyes, and hit the button signaling the machine to pitch another ball.

Riley had her eyes on the ball; her target never leaving her sight. She gathered her fullest concentration, every muscle, every breath was in place. She was ready.

And in a powerful, yet graceful, movement Riley began to swing her bat. She removed the object from over her shoulders and brought it closer to the ball. Her front foot strode forward and her hip spun around. She could hear the metallic sound coming from the interaction between the ball and the bat. She lifted her head upwards, as she watched how the ball flew to the other side of the ballpark.

"YEAH!" Mark yelled with excitement. He then lifted Riley and spun her around.

"Mark put me down!" the girl squealed and giggled with joy. It was a pretty impressive swing.

"Good job kid!" Mark gave put the girl down and gave her a high five. "Come on, let's try another"

Callie snorted. She loved seeing Mark and Riley have fun like that. Riley needed someone she could be a "tomboy" with; to wrestle and play sports. And it looked like Mark needed someone like that too. Good thing they have found each other.

The brunette sat on the bleachers next to Arizona and Lexie. Was it their choice to celebrate Riley's adoption in an impromptu evening baseball practice? No. No it wasn't. Callie and Arizona wanted to go to a nice restaurant for a family dinner. But Riley…she had other plans. And seriously who could say no to her? No one could refuse her adoptable face. And that is how Callie and Arizona found themselves drinking beer, sitting on the cold bleachers as they watched Mark and Riley play ball.

"Well at least someone's having fun…" Arizona muttered bitterly as she took another sip from her beer.

"Oh stop it…" Callie smiled at her wife, "and this is fun too"

"Says who?"

Callie chuckled, "Riley. Just look at her face!" the brunette then leaned and gave Arizona a quick peck on the cheek.

Arizona smiled; it was true, Riley's face was practically glowing with happiness. Arizona rested her head on Callie's shoulder as they both sighed in unison. They took a moment to just sit together and watch their daughter in silence.

On the other side of the court, Riley could see her moms watching her. She flashed them with an especially toothy grin and waved her hand. The two women laughed, and waved back. They said it before and they will say it again – that kid had some magic powers over them and she knew it. All it took was one smile and they were hers forever.

"Hey have you guys noticed how Riley almost looks like a combination of the two of you?" Lexie asked out of the blue. Callie and Arizona were so focused on watching their daughter that they almost forgot Lexie was sitting next to them.

Arizona lifted her head from her wife's shoulder. "What?"

"What do you mean? She looks nothing like us…" Callie pointed out. Lexie must have had one too many beers. She was hallucinating.

"No, just hear me out", Lexie began explaining her point before Callie and Arizona would hit her with a baseball, "Riley's skin is pale like yours", the young woman pointed at Arizona, "but her hair is dark like Callie's"

"Her hair isn't as dark as mine…it's brown…light brown" Callie corrected her and Arizona nodded with agreement.

"Yeah but it's darker then Arizona's!", Lexie huffed. "Anyway and her eye color is like what, grey? Kinda like a combination of blue and brown"

"Hmm", Arizona turned her head back to Riley, "I guess I could see that"

"Nicely done, Grey" Callie toasted her beer bottle. That was a cute insight.

Lexie chuckled and toasted her beer as well. "It doesn't matter though. She doesn't have to look like you. Anyone could tell she's your daughter"

Callie and Arizona were about to thank Lexie for the heartwarming comment when Riley came running towards them.

"Mom did she you see me? Did you see how I hit the ball?", the girl asked Callie.

"I sure did sweetie, you were great!"

Riley then faced Arizona, "Mom did you see me too?"

"Yeah monkey, you were amazing!"

Mark sat next to his girlfriend and put his arm around her. The two of them watched as Callie and Arizona pulled Riley into a tickle fight. The girl was laughing loudly and fidgeting in their arms.

* * *

Later that night, Riley was already in bed when Callie and Arizona stepped into her room. The two women scooted closer, until they each lay on either side while Riley was comfortably situated in between them.

"You're ready for bed Kiddo?", Callie asked.

"No - ", Riley tried to object when a sleepy yawn escaped from her mouth.

Callie laughed. The kid had a pretty exciting day, so no wonder she didn't want to go to asleep.

Arizona smiled, "Riley do you want to hear a story?"

Callie gave Arizona a confused look but the blond just signaled her to play along.

"Okay…" the girl whispered as she nested herself closer to her moms.

"Once upon a time, there used to be two really _awesome _surgeons", Arizona began to tell her story.

Callie rolled her eyes and chuckled; that wasn't exactly her idea of a bed time story. "The two really awesome surgeons had everything. They had a cool job and nice cars –"

"A pretty sweet apartment too",  
Arizona added.

"Right! But there was one thing missing"

"What was missing?" Riley asked; her eyes became wider with curiosity.

"The two really awesome surgeons wanted to start a family", Arizona explained. "And you know what? The two awesome surgeons looked everywhere…all over the kingdom actually"

Callie gave her wife another confused look, that story was heading into a totally different direction. "Until one day, they found _the perfect girl_"

Riley's face lit up with excitement; that story was really getting good…

"And Riley you should have seen that girl. She was the most perfect little girl any two awesome surgeons could have" ,Arizona tried to hold her laughter.

Callie nodded, "Yeah she was both funny and smart –"

"And beautiful…"

"God, she was gorgeous! Oh and she was really good at sports!" the brunette stated cheerfully. "But there was a problem", Callie's tone turned darker.

"What?" Riley asked with concern.

Arizona shoved Callie's shoulder; they were supposed to make this light and fun not scary.

"Well Riley, the kid was really sick"

"So the two awesome surgeons had to take her into the OR and open her up", Arizona traced her fingers on Riley's stomach and tickled her.

Riley giggled, "But she was okay right?"

"Yeah, the two surgeons were known to be awesome for a reason. They fixed her up in no time"

"And then what happened?" Riley asked with a smile.

"Then they lived happily ever after", Callie leaned and kissed Riley on the cheek.

Arizona laughed as she stroked the girl's hair, "You think you're ready to go to sleep now?"

The girl nodded, "yeah"

"Alright then, goodnight monkey", Arizona kissed Riley on the cheek as well. "We love you"

"Love you too", the girl replied sleepily.

The two awesome surgeons got up from the bed, and pulled the covers over their perfect little girl.

Callie leaned on the door and wrapped her arms around Arizona, as the blond rested her head against Callie's shoulder. They just stood there for a few more moments as they watched Riley fall asleep. They couldn't stop looking it her…she really was perfect.

Callie and Arizona exchanged a light kiss before heading to their own bedroom. After today, they knew for sure Riley wasn't going anywhere. They would have plenty more moments like this one. They got their dream family. They got their happy ever after.


	23. Epilogue

**For those of you who didn't notice, I uploaded chapter 22 as well, so make sure to read it beforehand.**

**Also – please, please, please try and keep an open mind when you read this epilogue! Please!**

**I left an author's note at the end of the page, make sure you read it. It explains everything!**

* * *

"That miserable son of a bitch!" Arizona cursed and jammed another piece of clothing in her bag.

Callie sighed, "Arizona –"

"No I mean, you think you know someone!"

"Arizona –" Callie repeated again. Though the blond completely ignored her and continued with her ranting.

"God, I can't believe this is happening!" she continued stuffing more clothes and medical supplies forcefully to her carryon.

"Arizona –"

"The only reason Hopkins even considered offering him a job –"

"Arizona!" Callie yelled. Her voice finally brining Arizona's whining into a stop.

"What?" Arizona asked with an irritated tone.

Callie approached her wife and put her arms on her shoulders protectively. "Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Overreacting?" Arizona's voice shot with complete disbelief. "Oh I'm overreacting?"

Three months had passed since Callie and Arizona adopted Riley and their lives couldn't be any more perfect. Though Arizona was especially happy. All the fifth year residents were getting ready to leave to their new job offers; that is, everyone other than Alex Karev. At least that was what Arizona thought.

Arizona was a great surgeon, but she was also a great teacher. Ever since she was a fellow, she was looking for a promising resident to mentor; a resident she could trust to be her assistant, someone she could "pass the torch" to in the future. And for 3 years that man was Alex Karev. The other attendings often thought of him as a self centered jerk; but not Arizona. She identified the hidden potential inside him and took him under her wing. For three years she spent countless hours in the exercise lab, helping Alex perfect his basic skills. She let him observe and assist her operate; she came up with a study plan to prepare Alex for his boards. She was there, every step of the way, holding the man's hand…metaphorically speaking of course. And when Alex messed up, she corrected him so he won't make that same mistake again. And when he succeeded, Arizona was there to encourage and support him. So no wonder Alex promised to stay, even though all of his friends were about to leave. Because he and Arizona were a team, and they had a plan to change pediatric surgery and alter so many lives of very sick children around the world.

And then… Alex got a better offer and everything changed. He got a job offer from Hopkins actually, which ironically was where Arizona completed her residency. So Arizona knew what an opportunity Alex was offered…but still, how could he stab her in the back like that? After all the time she invested in his education in the last three years, could he really just leave her? Well, Arizona wasn't going to accept that.

"You got everything?" Callie tried to change the subject.

They were in their bedroom and Arizona was packing some clothes. She was meant to get on a plane in an hour for Boise, Idaho. Seattle Grace Mercy West hospital was helping Boise with their conjoined twins surgery. Initially, Arizona had planned to send Alex as the lead pediatric surgeon on the case, as sort of like a gift for passing his boards. Arizona participated in many conjoined twins surgeries before, but frankly she would have much rather spent her evening with her wife and daughter, snuggling in front of the TV, then taking a plane ride to Idaho. But since Alex decided to be an ass, and not even confront her face to face about his decision, she took him off the case and any other pediatric case until she comes back tomorrow. She had to hear about Alex's decision from Owen! So Alex pretty much had it coming.

"Yeah I think so…" Arizona replied; her voice calmer this time.

"Just forget about it. Go to Boise, get those twins separated and you and Alex could talk when you come back. Alright?" Callie knew Arizona loved Alex and that was the reason behind her reaction. Arizona was sad to see her favorite resident go. Callie knew Arizona would come around eventually; it wasn't like her to hold a grudge.

Arizona nodded with agreement. "Okay, I'll go say bye to Riley"

The blond walked over to her daughter's bedroom. It was getting kinda late and Riley was already in bed. Callie leaned on the doorframe and watched her two favorite girls saying goodbye.

"Hey monkey, are you ready to go to sleep?" Arizona sat on the girl's bed.

"Yeah…" the girl nodded.

"Good, I just wanted to say goodnight before I leave"

Riley pouted, "When are you coming back?"

"Tomorrow" ,Arizona laughed at the girl's expression, "You'll be good okay? Don't give your mom any trouble" she brushed Riley's washed hair behind her ear and shared a quick glance with Callie.

"Okay" the girl promised with a smile.

"Goodnight sweetie" Arizona kissed her daughter's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow"

"By, mom" Riley said shyly. She was still getting used to calling Callie and Arizona moms.

Arizona hugged the girl tightly. It was kinda ridiculous; she was only leaving for one day. But Arizona would never miss an opportunity to hug her daughter and she would never get tired of hearing the little girl call her mom.

Arizona left Riley's room and kissed Callie goodbye. It wasn't too big of a deal for them, they were used to flying over to other hospitals across the country to assist on special and complex surgeries. She then left the apartment and walked to the hospital, where she was supposed to meet with the other doctors on the delegation.

* * *

_This is Dr. Robbins, _

_Leave your name and number and I'll get back to you. _

_Thanks._

"Ugh", Callie groaned with frustration. She must have called Arizona like a hundred times and it always went straight into voice mail. Arizona's plane should have landed hours ago and Callie still hadn't heard from her wife.

Callie could feel the hints of panic rising within her. Something felt wrong. Arizona always called her after the plane landed. Arizona knew Callie would want to know the flight went well and that she was safe. She should have contact her by now...

Could it be that Arizona lost her phone? Or maybe her battery was low…but still even if Arizona couldn't contact Callie then Mark or Lexie would have called instead. But Callie hadn't heard from them either.

"Hey, Owen!" Callie yelled when she saw the man stomping across the hospital halls angrily.

"Yeah?" Owen turned around. He was wearing his usual irritated expression; the chief's worries were endless.

"Have you heard from Cristina? Their plane should have landed hours ago and I still hadn't heard from Arizona since she left yesterday" Callie mumbled rapidly. She was praying Owen would say yes so she could go back and be mad at Arizona for making her worried for nothing.

"Uh, no" ,Owen replied and his eyes dropped shamefully.

"Well do you think they're alright? I mean –"

"Torres I'm sure they're fine", Owen signaled Callie to stop talking. As the chief of surgery, Owen Hunt was a busy man and he didn't have time for worried wives. "And Cristina didn't call me because we…um ugh have some issues. But that doesn't mean something happened to the plane"

Callie's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She had no idea Owen and Cristina were fighting. "Oh, I'm sorry –"

"No it's fine. I'm sure they're just busy that's all but I'll call you if I hear anything" ,He promised and then turned around quickly before Callie could say anything else.

Callie sighed. They were fine, everything's fine. Arizona should be home in a few hours and then Callie could pretend to be mad at her and then…Well then, Callie had a few other plans for them that involved yelling.

A smile formed on the brunette's face as she began to think about her plan for the night. She was going to surprise Arizona with a much needed _sexy time_. She even got new lingerie, flavored body paint…and a bunch of other _stuff_. Someone was definitely getting lucky tonight.

With a flustered look and a goofy smile, the brunette went on to continue with her work. Her previous worries all forgotten.

* * *

Callie got up in a sharp movement; her phone was vibrating. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

Callie squinted; the bright light from the phone's screen blurred her vision.

"Hello?" she mumbled; her voice still rusty from sleep.

"Callie? It's Hunt…umm Owen" ,Callie's expression creased with surprise. She glanced over to the alarm clock sitting on her nightstand; it was 2:00 A.M.

_2:00 A.M?, _Callie asked herself. Well she must have fallen asleep because the last thing the brunette remembered was that she got Riley in bed and then she started planning her sexy night with Arizona. Callie glanced over her body, she was still wearing the lingerie and her bed was all covered with rose paddles, but Arizona wasn't lying next to her.

Callie froze. Arizona wasn't home yet. But that doesn't make sense; she should have gotten back hours ago…

"Callie? Are you there?" ,Owen's voice interrupted Callie's thought process. Why the hell was he calling her so late at night?

"Umm look, I need to tell you something" Owen's voice was unusually cautious.

Callie shook her head, "Owen it's late, can't it wait for tomorrow?"

"Callie you need to listen to me. _It's about Arizona_"

Callie gulped and her heart started pounding rapidly. "What?"

"There was a crash. Arizona's plane crashed"

Owen continued talking but Callie tuned herself out. All she heard was that Arizona's plane crashed and the rest didn't matter.

Callie's head was spinning and her palms were sweaty. Her chest felt like something heavy was pressed against it, she couldn't…she couldn't breathe.

Arizona's plane crashed. Arizona was in a _freaking_ plane crash.

Callie sensed something was wrong, she knew it didn't make sense Arizona hadn't called her yet. She ignored her intuition and now…and now what?

Could it be that Arizona was dead? Oh god, what if she was dead…and Mark and the others…were they dead too? And when did this happen? And how come Owen only found out now?

So many questions were forming in the brunette's head. What was she going to tell Riley? A moment ago they were this perfect little family…Did they just lose it all?

_Arizona's plane crashed…_

* * *

**For those of you who hate me right now – I get it!**

**But I would like to explain a few things. I know this ending kinda sucks and I know this epilogue isn't much of an epilogue. But I chose to end this story with the plane crash because I'm planning on a sequel.**

**So these characters will have a happy ending. But it's going to take a little longer before we get there.**

**On a happier note, I already started writing the sequel and I'm going to upload the first chapter next week. And I really hope you guys will read it! I'm pretty excited about it!**

**I initially came up with the idea behind this story while watching season 9 and I'm really looking forward to explore some of what we've seen in that season through these characters.**

**Once again, thank you for reading and sending me reviews! And I'm sorry if this "ending" was harsh or disappointing.**


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